Say school, hospital, prison, university, church, bed, work and home without the when you mean the place for its usual purpose, and use the when you mean a particular building or object.
A school and the school
Maisie is nine and lives in Barnsley. Every weekday she goes to school. At the moment she is at school. School starts at quarter to nine and finishes at quarter past three.
We say a child goes to school or is at school when they go there as a pupil. We are not thinking of one particular building. We are thinking of school as a general idea: children being taught in a classroom.
This evening Maisie's dad wants a word with her teacher about a missing PE kit, so he has gone to the school. He is at the school now. He is not a pupil, so he is not 'at school'. He has gone to the school, meaning Maisie's school, one specific building with a car park he cannot find a space in.
- Maisie goes to school five days a week.
- Is your son still at school, or has he started work?
- Maisie's dad has gone to the school for parents' evening.
- There's a fence round the school, so the children can't wander off.
B prison, hospital, university, college, church
prison (or jail), hospital, university, college and church work in the same way. When we are thinking of the general idea of the place and what it is for, we do not use the.
| Without the: the place for its purpose | With the: a particular building |
|---|---|
| When I finish my A levels, I'd like to go to university. (as a student) | I went to the university to drop off my sister's laptop. (as a visitor) |
| Gemma came off her bike and was taken to hospital. She's still in hospital. (as a patient) | Her mum went to the hospital to see her. She's at the hospital now. (as a visitor) |
| Dean's cousin is in prison for fraud. (as a prisoner, no particular prison in mind) | Dean drove to the prison to visit his cousin. (as a visitor) |
| Mrs Akhtar's neighbour goes to church every Sunday. (for a service) | A roofer went up to the church to look at the leak. (a particular building) |
With most other places you need the: the station, the bank, the cinema, the post office.
- Our Callum's at college in Leeds, studying plumbing.
- My grandad was in hospital for a week after his fall.
- We parked outside the hospital and walked in.
- He spent three years in prison and came out a reformed man, or so he tells everyone.
- Is the church open to visitors on a Saturday?
C bed, work and home
We say go to bed and be in bed, not 'the bed'. When we mean the piece of furniture itself, we use the.
We say go to work, be at work, start work and finish work, not 'the work'.
We say go home, come home, get home, arrive home, be (at) home and do something at home. There is no to before home: one goes home, never 'to home'.
- I'm off to bed. Night, everyone.
- She had a cold, so she spent Sunday in bed.
- Leave the ironing on the bed and I'll put it away.
- Kirsty didn't go to work on Monday.
- What time do you finish work on Fridays?
- It's nearly midnight. Shall we go home?
- I don't commute any more. I work at home.
Exercises
74.1 Complete the sentences with school or the school.
Why isn't Oscar at school today? Has he got a cold?
Why isn't Oscar at school today? Has he got a cold?
When she was little, Freya hated going to , but she loves it now.
When she was little, Freya hated going to school, but she loves it now.
A crowd of parents was standing by the gates of at half past three.
A crowd of parents was standing by the gates of the school at half past three.
What time does finish in the afternoon?
What time does school finish in the afternoon?
How do your kids get to in the morning? Do you drive them?
How do your kids get to school in the morning? Do you drive them?
What was the name of you went to in Doncaster?
What was the name of the school you went to in Doncaster?
What does Kieran want to do when he leaves ?
What does Kieran want to do when he leaves school?
My two walk to . is only ten minutes from our house.
My two walk to school. The school is only ten minutes from our house.
74.2 Which is right? Choose the correct form.
Excuse me, where's ___ (university / the university)? Is it far from the station?
the university
Excuse me, where's the university? Is it far from the station?
Liam left school at sixteen and trained as a plumber. He never wanted to go to ___ (university / the university).
Liam left school at sixteen and trained as a plumber. He never wanted to go to university.
In your country, how many young people go to ___ (university / the university)?
In your country, how many young people go to university?
Our town is tiny, but ___ (university / the university) here has twelve thousand students.
Our town is tiny, but the university here has twelve thousand students.
My nan is ninety-one and she has never once been in ___ (hospital / the hospital).
My nan is ninety-one and she has never once been in hospital.
When Dev broke his leg, I went to ___ (hospital / the hospital) to take him some grapes.
When Dev broke his leg, I went to the hospital to take him some grapes.
While I was visiting Dev, I bumped into Claire, who works as a porter at ___ (hospital / the hospital).
While I was visiting Dev, I bumped into Claire, who works as a porter at the hospital.
A cyclist was knocked off his bike outside the chippy and taken to ___ (hospital / the hospital).
A cyclist was knocked off his bike outside the chippy and taken to hospital.
Why was he sent to ___ (prison / the prison)? What had he done?
Why was he sent to prison? What had he done?
There was a flood at ___ (prison / the prison) last night, and two hundred inmates had to be moved.
There was a flood at the prison last night, and two hundred inmates had to be moved.
Do you think sending people to ___ (prison / the prison) actually stops crime?
Do you think sending people to prison actually stops crime?
Mrs Holroyd sings in the choir. She goes to ___ (church / the church) every Sunday morning.
Mrs Holroyd sings in the choir. She goes to church every Sunday morning.
Her husband never goes to ___ (church / the church). He stays at home with the crossword.
Her husband never goes to church. He stays at home with the crossword.
If you're in the village, have a look round ___ (church / the church). Parts of it are eight hundred years old.
If you're in the village, have a look round the church. Parts of it are eight hundred years old.
74.3 Complete the sentences. Choose from the box. One word appears twice.
bedthe bedin bedhomehomeat homelike homeworkto workafter work
What time did you get home last night?
What time did you get home last night?
How do you usually get ? Do you cycle?
How do you usually get to work? Do you cycle?
Zara likes to go to late and sleep until lunchtime.
Zara likes to go to bed late and sleep until lunchtime.
I can't send you the photo yet. I've left my phone .
I can't send you the photo yet. I've left my phone at home.
"Where's the cat?" "Asleep on , as usual."
"Where's the cat?" "Asleep on the bed, as usual."
Shall we go for a curry on Friday?
Shall we go for a curry after work on Friday?
I always read for half an hour before I turn the light off.
I always read for half an hour in bed before I turn the light off.
The train was delayed outside Wakefield, and we didn't get until after midnight.
The train was delayed outside Wakefield, and we didn't get home until after midnight.
My sister starts at seven o'clock, so she's up at half five.
My sister starts work at seven o'clock, so she's up at half five.
Mallorca was lovely, but there's no place .
Mallorca was lovely, but there's no place like home.
74.4 Complete the sentences with at, in or to and one of these words. Two words are used twice.
bedhomehospitalprisonschooluniversitywork
Jo's dad is having his knee replaced. He'll be in hospital for about a week.
Jo's dad is having his knee replaced. He'll be in hospital for about a week.
In your country, at what age do children have to start going ?
In your country, at what age do children have to start going to school?
Imran was shattered on Saturday night, so he stayed and watched a film.
Imran was shattered on Saturday night, so he stayed at home and watched a film.
The ring road is packed at eight o'clock, when everybody is driving .
The ring road is packed at eight o'clock, when everybody is driving to work.
When Holly finishes her A levels, she wants to study engineering .
When Holly finishes her A levels, she wants to study engineering at university.
Craig never surfaces before ten on a Saturday. It's half past nine, so he'll still be .
Craig never surfaces before ten on a Saturday. It's half past nine, so he'll still be in bed.
It was only a little bump. Nobody needed to go .
It was only a little bump. Nobody needed to go to hospital.
People who keep on breaking the law tend to end up .
People who keep on breaking the law tend to end up in prison.