Is it OK to say, `On the lights, please!’

This is an expression which is commonly heard in India. We ask people to `on the lights’, `on the TV’, `on the tap’ and `on the heater’. Native speakers of English will not ask you to `on’ any of these things. Instead they will ask you to `switch’ or `turn something on’.

For example: *Could you turn on the TV, please! *Would you like me to turn on/switch on the fan?

By the way, you do not say, `switch on/turn on the tap’. It’s always `open/close the tap’.

Source: The Hindu ‘Know Your English’ Series, November 28, 2005.