About vs On
Look at the following examples:
I wanted to ask Elena about her work.
Jackie is writing a book on Asian literature.
We were discussing about technology.
The study conducted by Professor Ziegler was on Genetics.
In the above examples, you should notice that “about” is used when the topic is very general: “about her work” or “about technology“.
On the other hand, when discussing more serious subjects, which are highly specific, we use “on”: “on Asian literature” or “on Genetics“.
More examples of on vs about:
Rick told me about his college.
Meaning: He talked about different aspects (for example, classes, classmates, teachers, assignments, or facilities) of his college.
Rick is writing a thesis on his college.
Meaning: The topic of the thesis (which is an academic research paper) is the college.
I just finished a book about the role of religion in rural communities.
Meaning: The general topic of the book was religion’s role in rural areas.
Please hand me that book on Critical Race Theory.
Meaning: Critical Race Theory is the specific subject area of the book.
