Re: USAGE: Internetese deviancy - the definite article

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 12:09:39 -0500, David Barrow
<davidab@...> wrote:

>Gary Shannon wrote:
>
<snip>

>>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")

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

Reply