On holiday means away from work or school for a period of rest, usually travelling somewhere: She's on holiday in Spain. To leave for such a trip is go on holiday. This is the British phrase; in American English people say on vacation.
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be on holiday; go on holiday (to + place); on holiday in + place; go on a skiing/two-week holiday; on vacation (AmE)
- My manager is on holiday until Monday, so the invoice will have to wait.
- We went on holiday to Portugal last summer and spent most days on the beach.
- While she was on holiday in Italy, she took a short cooking class.
What changed
First versionNext week I'm going in holiday to Turkey with my family.
RevisionNext week I'm going on holiday to Turkey with my family.
In this meaning, holiday takes on, not in: go on holiday, be on holiday. There is no article unless a word describes the holiday: on holiday, but on a skiing holiday. Only the preposition was changed.
In British English, a holiday is also a public day off: Monday is a bank holiday. For a single free day from work, people usually say day off: I'm taking a day off on Friday. Americans call time away from work a vacation, and for them the holidays are the festive days at the end of the year.
Your turn
Sorry, Anna can't reply to your email; she's ___ in Greece until the 15th.
Show the answer
on holiday — Anna has gone to Greece and won't be back until the 15th, so she is on holiday. In holiday is simply wrong: holiday in this sense always takes on.
Write an out-of-office reply for your work email while you are on holiday. Give the dates you will be away and who to contact with urgent questions, using on holiday.
I'm on holiday from 3 to 14 August; for urgent questions, please contact Maria Petrova.
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