The definite article with public buildings

Unfortunately, there are numerous wrong explanations of English grammar rules on Internet. I'd advice you to double- check when you are uncertain or your resorce is not an official one like BBC Learning English, CAMBRIDGE English Learnig Assessment or OXFORD English Grammar Course etc.

This is what I found yesterday on Instagram:

I've been teaching for years how we use the definite article "the" with public buildings and I can say that it is absolutely incorrect. Let's see with Phil, why: 

❗❗So the difference is not the use of  the prepositions "in" vs "at", but the omission or not of the definite article❗❗

So at school or at the school?

Without 'the'

We often use a prepositions of place with public buidlings when talking about the main reason that people go there. We normally don't use the in this case.

• I'm at school. (I'm studying)
• I'm in hospital. (I'm ill)

With 'the' 

We often use 'the' in front of a public buidling when talking about an alternative activity to the normal reason that people go there. 

• I'm at the school. I'm here to pick up our son.
• I'm in the hospital to visit Mable.

More examples: 

My son (= a student)                                       vs            My son (= I'm a mother) has started 

starts school/goes to school/is at school                        school now, so I am at the school to
                                                                                        meet his teacher.   

The burglar (=a criminal)                                 vs           I spent a lot of time in the prison when

was sent to prison/was in prison                                    I was a social worker.         

A pregnant woman (=a patient)                       vs           I'm (=a visitor) in the hospital, my

goes to hospital/is in hospital*                                        sister has just had a baby.   

Believers                                                          vs          Tourists are at the church to admire the

go to church/are at church                                             beautiful frescoes.     

          

(*However, American English uses "the" when referring to someone who has been admitted to the hospital that is "I'm in the hospital", as Michael from New York explains:

)

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More on special omissions of the definite article is on:

https://www.linguahouse.com/learning-english/general-english/nouns-2-special-omissions-of-the-definite-article 👍

Yet at school or in school?

You’ve most likely heard both of the expressions at some point in everyday conversation, but are they reallly interchangeable? There are many different ideas about that:

• "In school" is perhaps more common American English while "at school" is more British, but both are equally correct. Similarly, an American would probably say "in college", while a Brit would say "at university". "In" tends to be used for institutions, so you are "in hospital" rather than "at hospital", but "at home" not "in home" - although you might be put "in a home". There is perhaps a slight subtle difference that "in school" means they attend school - as opposed to having finished school, while "at school" means they are there now:
  "Are your children in school" = Are they under 16 or 18? But "Are your children at school" = Are they at school today or are they at home? English Stack Exchange

•  We use both "in school" and "at school", for slightly different situations. "At school means" the person is literally, physically, inside the school: (conversation at 2:00 PM) “Where’s John?” “He’s at school. His classes finish at 3:30.”  "In school" means the person is studying in general (usually at college or university) but not necessarily inside the school building at that moment: “My husband doesn’t have a job, because he’s in school. He’s studying law.” Espresso English

 

• We use the phrase “at school” to indicate that a person is currently anywhere within the designated “grounds” of the school or in a general sense are attending (or have attended) the educational institution to which you are referring:

We are at school today because it is not a nationally recognized holiday.

The children are at school from 7:00 AM until 3:00 PM every weekday.

The dance this weekend is at school, but I’m not sure where in the building they are holding it.

We use the phrase “in school” to imply that the person is within the actual school building (as opposed to just being somewhere on the school grounds) or in a general sense are attending (or have attended) the educational institution to which you are referring:

Jeremy is in school right now so he can’t come with me to the store to pick out new shoes.

Are your children at the ages now where they are in school?

The children are in school every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but we homeschool them on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Is "at school" or "in school" used the most? 👀

 

 

What does -holic mean?

 

The combining form –holic is used like a suffix meaning “a person who has an addiction to or obsession with some object or activity.” It is occasionally used in slang and “nonce words,” that is, words coined and used only for a particular occasion.

https://thelanguagenerds.com/.../30-jokes-that-only.../ 😃

𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗲 /miːm/noun

1.

an element of a culture or system of behaviour passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means.

2.

an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by internet users, often with slight variations.

Origin: from Greek mimēma ‘that which is imitated’, on the pattern of gene

The word was coined by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene (1976) as a concept for discussion of evolutionary principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena.

 

 

Paddington Bear joins Queen Elizabeth II for tea at Buckingham Palace on 5th June 2022

Sporting his iconic blue duffle coat, Paddington Bear sat down with Queen Elizabeth II for tea at Buckingham Palace as part of the Platinum Jubilee festivities celebrating her 70 years on the throne.

It was a meeting for the ages, and it didn't take long for the duo to realize they have something in common ... Setting down a teapot, the polite bear offers the queen a marmalade sandwich, which was tucked deep inside his red brimmed hat.

"I always keep one for emergencies," he tells her.

Unlatching a black handbag, she pulls out a sandwich, too.

"So do I," she says. "I keep mine in here."

Paddington is famous for his love of marmalade and he is particularly fond of it in marmalade sandwiches. He always carries a jar of it in his suitcase and he usually has a marmalade sandwich tucked under his hat 'in case of emergencies'."

Although Paddington now lives in London, England, he originally came from Peru where he was brought up by his Aunt Lucy after he was orphaned following an earthquake when he was just a few weeks old.

When Aunt Lucy went to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima, she decided to send him to England to live. After teaching him to speak perfect English, Aunt Lucy arranged for him to stow away in a ship’s lifeboat.

Eventually, Paddington arrived on Paddington Station in London where he was found by Mr. and Mrs. Brown. He was sitting on a small suitcase near the lost property office wearing nothing but an old bush hat and a label round his neck with the words “Please Look After This Bear. Thank You.”

Unable to resist such a simple request, Mr. and Mrs. Brown took Paddington home to live with them at 32 Windsor Gardens in London, along with their two children, Jonathan and Judy and their housekeeper, Mrs. Bird.

The Browns decided to name the new member of their family Paddington, after the place where he was found, although we later learn that in Peru Paddington was called Pastuso, after his uncle.

The queen's meeting with Paddington was screened to a crowd of thousands outside of Buckingham Palace to open a concert to celebrate the queen. The short video was met with laughter and applause. The sketch was just one part of the multi-day celebration. Festivities included the queen's birthday parade, musical performances and appearances from Prince Charles and Prince William.

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(Remembering Queen Elizabeth II died on 8th September, 2022)

 

There, Their, or They're? (Homophones)

"There," "their," and "they're" are easy to confuse because they sound identical. They are homophones.

A homophone* is a word that has the same sound as another word but has a different meaning. Homophones may or may not have the same spelling. 

 

There

"There" is like "here" because it represents a place. ("There" and "here" are adverbs of place.)

"There" has two uses:

(1) It means a specific place: She is there.

(2) It means that something exists: There are two apples.

Their

"Their" is for possession. It is like "my," "your," "his," "her," "its," and "our." These are called possessive determiners ("possessive adjectives" in traditional grammar).

Top Tip

Use the word "our" instead of "their." If the sentence still makes sense, then "their" is correct. This trick works because "our" and "their" are both possessive determiners used for plurals.

Can you show the guests to their cabins?

(Do the "our" test: "Can you show the guests to our cabins?"

This sounds okay. Therefore, "their" is correct.)

They're

"They're" is a contraction of "they are."

Example sentences with "they're": They're not leaving on Saturday now. 

(Do the expansion test: "They are not leaving on Saturday now.")

Top Tip

Only use "they're" if you can substitute it with "they are."

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