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I can't really explain that, but I just wanted to say that I've noticed precisely the same thing. Not only that, but British English also tends to differentiate between being in that place (and similar institutions) as a sick person versus a visitor [the intention determines the use of in/at + (the)]. I can't wait to hear what others have to say.
Azoox said:
I can't really explain that, but I just wanted to say that I've noticed precisely the same thing. Not only that, but British English also tends to differentiate between being in that place (and similar institutions) as a sick person versus a visitor [the intention determines the use of in/at + (the)]. I can't wait to hear what others have to say.
I have noticed the absence of the article from British speakers, but even in the U.S. we differentiate between enrollees and visitors, "I was at the hospital" vs "I was in the hospital". Maybe this is not the specific phrase you were thinking of but it is common in the U.S.
They're also "taken to hospital" in England, but "taken to the hospital" in America.
It's almost like "hospital" is a situation or circumstance in England, but a place in America. Perhaps historically that way, before special buildings were constructed? From the days when medical care was in a monastery, priory, or convent, and you could be "in hospital" like being "in trouble"?
Though, looking at the (other) OED, it looks like hospital has been a place (hostel, shelter) since mid-13c ...
When did the English phrases "in hospital" or "to hospital" become established - from 13c, or more recently?
Dick said:
I can't really explain that, but I just wanted to say that I've noticed precisely the same thing. Not only that, but British English also tends to differentiate between being in that place (and similar institutions) as a sick person versus a visitor [the intention determines the use of in/at + (the)]. I can't wait to hear what others have to say.
I have noticed the absence of the article from British speakers, but even in the U.S. we differentiate between enrollees and visitors, "I was at the hospital" vs "I was in the hospital". Maybe this is not the specific phrase you were thinking of but it is common in the U.S.
That distinction for me will forever be etched by the game Monopoly, where you can either Go To Jail, or be Just Visiting!
(Visitors don't have to roll doubles to leave...)
Hi, I'm a teacher of British English, and the general rule goes like this:
For primary users of an institutional building - prisoners, pupils, students, patients, worshippers - we omit the definite article - they go to prison, to school, to college/university, to hospital, to church/synagogue, and are then to be found in prison, at school, at college/university, in hospital, in church/synagogue.
Visitors, caretakers (janitors), cleaners, tourists go to the hospital, to the prison, to the school &c., and are then in the hospital, in the prison, in the hospital...
Then, if our focus of attention is on the building or institution itself, rather than the status or current activity of individual users, we will find ourselves saying "There are 300 students at the university, there were 200 worshippers in the church", and so on.
I only recently discovered that the rules were different in US English!
-Robert
Thank you. That is very helpful.
It is interesting that in US English, we follow that same paradigm for some of your exemplars, but not others. Ones that work the same in the US are: prison, school, college, church. Ones that are different by using the article are: university and hospital. I think synagogue and temple are mixed, but I'm not an expert: I would say "Avram went to synagogue/temple" but "Avram is at the synagogue/temple", even if he went for services. I would not say "Avram is at synagogue/temple."
I'm a rebel who likes to be an exception to all of the rules, so I like to use indefinite articles where other people might use the definite article or no article:
"I broke my leg and had to be medevaced to a hospital."
"I've been going to a school since I was a young child."
"My friend is a CEO: he goes to a church on Christmas and Easter Only."
"During our tour of the facility, we went to a county jail and a county courthouse."
"I began working toward my A.A. degree by going to a community college."
All of the above sound fine to me, but seem to be marked with slight nuance. The use of the indefinite article nudges one to suspect that the particular hospital/school/church/jail/courthouse/college is irrelevant to the speaker or to the listener, or is some unknown one of many.
I might expect to hear sentence 1 if a friend was telling me about his skiing while traveling. I might expect to hear sentence 3 if the friend is actively ecumenical. Sentence 2 might be uttered to refute an assertion that I was home schooled.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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