Do folks live ‘on’ or ‘in’ Fleming Island? JU Prof. Edward McCourt has an answer…

A package of stories in the Sunday, Aug. 12, Life section of The Florida Times-Union takes a look at life on — or in — Fleming Island.

Edward McCourt, assistant professor of English and director of the writing center at Jacksonville University, takes a crack at answering a vexing question: Does one live “in” Fleming Island or “on” Fleming Island?

T-U writer Tom Szaroleta mentions that the area has its own ZIP code, although it is not its own municipality (it’s an unincorporated area of Clay County).

“So, do the 28,000-plus residents live in Fleming Island or on Fleming Island? Much like the question of whether Fleming Island is or isn’t really an island, the answer is ‘it depends” he continues.

McCourt, a “descriptivist grammarian,” said one would be described as living “in” Fleming Island if you were talking about being part of the community, but “on” Fleming Island if you were describing the physical landmass.

“If that’s what I was writing about, them living on a certain type of geographical something, I’d use ‘on,’ ” he told Szaroleta.

Read the entire article by clicking here.