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bold brazen articles
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:26 pm
by sluggo
I agree with Tim that
to school,
in school, and
at school imply that
one is attending classes.
To the school,
in the school, and
at the school imply that
one is at a particular school/building.
Telephone conversations:
"May I speak with Sarah?"
"No, she's at school right now." ==> Implies that Sarah is in class, either learning or teaching or doing some other work. This is similar to "No, she's at work right now."
"May I speak with Sarah?"
"No she's up at the school right now." ==> Implies that Sarah is somewhere on the school grounds. She could be playing or coaching a sport, in an after-school club, attending a parent-teacher conference or other meeting, or, like my fool wife, doing some non-paid work on a weekend, such as putting up a new bulletin board, because they won't give her time to do it during the week.
Also "the school" used as above would indicate in the US that the speaker and speakee both know exactly
which school is referred to, while "in school" means what the person is doing rather than where they are located right now.
"In hospital" is to my ears always heard from UK and Canada, and feels like it's a more experiential term, like "in pain", whereas the USian "in the hospital" feels like it's physically localising
the subject.
I'm surprised this post didn't open the floodgates for US/UK variations in general...
Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 12:10 pm
by Davekent
Gotta add my extra two cents:
There are many count nouns that take the zero article in abstract or specialized use. . .especially in certain idiomatic expressions with verbs like "be" and "go" + preposition:
go by car . . .but sit in/look at, the car
be in bed . . .but make/sit on, the bed
go to school (institution) . . .but go into/take a look at, the school (a building)
More. . .
be in or go to. . .bed, church, prison, class, sea, hospital (BrE). The Brits happen to treat the noun hospital as an "institution" not a "building."
Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:16 pm
by sluggo
The Brits happen to treat the noun hospital as an "institution" not a "building."
DK, I think you just hit the nail on the head!
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 12:45 am
by Perry
Another interesting Britishism (or at least a Mancunianism) is "I'll give it you", whereas in the US one would say "I'll give it to you".
UK/US usage
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:26 am
by sluggo
For all we bemoan the homogenising effect of media, how much does it also open our ears to 'what else is out there'... a great many British expressions have come to these ears via the likes of The Beatles or Monty Python's Flying Circus, e.g. "left it too late" (in "I'm a Loser).
Strange to think that in the early '60s Capitol Records resisted releasing Beatles music in the US as being "too British"(!).
Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:10 pm
by sandymiss
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 7:08 am
by roseanna
How do you choose the hospital that you will have your baby at? Hi. I live in Chicago, I am pregnant, and don't know yet which hospital I am gonna give birth at. Can you give me some insights on how to choose the hospital? What should I look for? How can I determine that one hospital is better than the other? Thanks in advance!
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:48 pm
by Perry
Maybe she can ask the one who keeps harping about language schools. They can misdirect each other.
Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:19 pm
by skinem
Yup...this is obviously the first place that anyone would turn to for that kind of information.
What I want to know is, will she being going "to hospital" or "to the hospital"? Until she can answer that, whatever will she do? How will she choose the right hospital? Oh, the suspense...
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 3:29 am
by Stargzer
How do you choose the hospital that you will have your baby at? Hi. I live in Chicago, I am pregnant, and don't know yet which hospital I am gonna give birth at. Can you give me some insights on how to choose the hospital? What should I look for? How can I determine that one hospital is better than the other? Thanks in advance!
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