Re: USAGE: Internetese deviancy - the definite article

I. K. Peylough wrote:

>On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 12:09:39 -0500, David Barrow
><davidab@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>>Gary Shannon wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>
><snip>
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>
>>>I still haven't figured out how the British decide to
>>>DROP "the" in so many odd places like "going to
>>>hospital" instead of "going to THE hospital."  Does
>>>anybody know what the rule is for when to drop "the"
>>>in order to speak proper British?  For example, does
>>>one say "I'm going to the city", or "I'm going to
>>>city"?
>>>
>>>Somehow, "going to university" makes "university"
>>>sound like a verb to me.  "I'm going to university and
>>>then I'm going to sing, and if you don't watch out I'm
>>>going to hospital you right in the face."
>>>
>>>--gary
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>The basic idea is institutions used for their intended purpose
>>In hospital for treatment v in the hospital to visit a patient
>>In prison to serve a sentence v in the prison to speak to some prisoners
>>At school, at college, at university to study v at the school, at
>>college, at university for a party
>>At church for the service v at the church to repair the stained-glass
>>windows
>>
>>We say to, in(to) the city but to, in(to) town.
>>
>>David Barrow
>>
>>
>
>* examples 1 & 2 have "in" vs. "in the"
>* examples 3 & 4 have "at" vs. "at the" (except that "the" seems to have
>been omitted before "college" and "university")
>
>
Unitentionally. Should have been at the college, at the university

>3 & 4 (minus the exception) are like American English.
>1 & 2 in American English:
>1. In *the* hospital for treatment v _at_ the hospital to visit a patient
>2. In *the* prison to serve a sentence v _at_ the prison to speak to some
>prisoners
>
>so Britich "in the" becomes American "at the" and British "in" becomes
>American "in the". Note that 3 & 4 preclude an American to Britich rule!
>
>IKP
>
So Americans have 'in jail' but 'in the prison' for convicts?

For me the difference between 'at' and 'in' is one of precision. 'in'
means in the building you know the person is inside at this moment, 'at'
when you don't know for sure the person is inside right now. They could
be waiting outside or in the garden or in regular attendance but maybe
not right now

the kid is in school studying means in class
his mother is in the school talking to the teachers means she's inside
the school
the kid is at school means he goes to school but is not necessarily
there right now
his mother is at the school to pick up her children.  She could be
inside or she could be outside waiting in her car

in prison (obviously inside) for a convict but it can be in the prison
or at the prison for a visitor
in hospital for a patient. In the hospital or at the hospital for a visitor

If you are talking about a person who is visiting a patient or a prisoner
If you are standing outside the hospital or prison you'd say
s/he's in the hospital/prison
If you are away from the hospital or prison you'd say
s/he's at the hospital/prison

David Barrow

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