Unit
74 the 2 (school / the school etc.)
A Compare school and the school:
ELLIE
Ellie is ten years old. Every day she goes to Today Ellie’s mother wants to speak to her
school. She’s at school now. School starts daughter’s teacher. So she has gone to the
at 9 and finishes at 3. school to see her. She’s at the school now.
We say a child goes to school or is at school Ellie’s mother is not a student. She is not ‘at
(as a student). We are not thinking of a specific school’, she doesn’t ‘go to school’. If she
school. We are thinking of school as a general wants to see Ellie’s teacher, she goes to the
idea – children learning in a classroom. school (= Ellie’s school, a specific building).
B We use prison (or jail), hospital, university, college and church in a similar way. We do not use the
when we are thinking of the general idea of these places and what they are used for.
Compare:
When I leave school, I plan to go I went to the university to meet
to university / go to college. Professor Thomas.
(as a student) (as a visitor, not as a student)
Joe had an accident last week. He was Jane has gone to the hospital to visit
taken to hospital. He’s still in hospital Joe. She’s at the hospital now.
now. (as a patient) (as a visitor, not as a patient)
Ken’s brother is in prison for robbery. Ken went to the prison to visit his
(He is a prisoner. We are not thinking brother. (He went as a visitor, not as a
of a specific prison.) prisoner.)
Sarah’s father goes to church every Some workmen went to the church to
Sunday. (for a religious service) repair the roof. (a specific building)
With most other places, you need the. For example, the station, the cinema (see Units 72C and 73D).
C We say go to bed / be in bed etc. (not the bed):
I’m going to bed now. Goodnight.
Do you ever have breakfast in bed?
but
I sat down on the bed. (a specific piece of furniture)
go to work / be at work / start work / finish work etc. (not the work):
Chris didn’t go to work yesterday.
What time do you usually finish work?
go home / come home / arrive home / get home / be (at) home / do something at home etc. :
It’s late. Let’s go home.
I don’t go out to work. I work at home.
the ➜ Units 72–73, 75–78 Prepositions (at school / in hospital etc.) ➜ Units 123–125
148 home ➜ Unit 126C American English ➜ Appendix 7
Unit
Exercises 74
74.1 Complete the sentences with school or the school.
1 Why aren’t your children at school today? Are they ill?
2 When he was younger, Ben hated school , but he enjoys it now.
3 There were some parents waiting outside the school to meet their children.
4 What time does school start in the morning?
5 How do your children get to and from school ? Do you take them?
6 What was the name of the school you attended?
7 What does Emily want to do when she leaves school ?
8 My children walk to school . The school isn’t very far.
74.2 Which is right?
1 a Where is university / the university? Is it near here? (the university is correct)
b Neil left school and got a job. He didn’t want to go to university / the university.
c In your country, what proportion of the population study at university / the university?
d This is a small town, but university / the university is the biggest in the country.
2 a My brother has always been healthy. He’s never been in hospital / the hospital.
b When my friend was ill, I went to hospital / the hospital to see her.
c When I was visiting my friend, I met Lisa, who is a nurse at hospital / the hospital.
d I saw an accident. A woman was injured and was taken to hospital / the hospital.
3 a Why is she in prison / the prison? What crime did she commit?
b There was a fire at prison / the prison. Firefighters were called to put it out.
c Do you think too many people are sent to prison / the prison?
4 a John’s mother is a regular churchgoer. She goes to church / the church every Sunday.
b John himself doesn’t go to church / the church.
c The village is very nice. You should visit church / the church. It’s interesting.
74.3 Complete the sentences. Choose from the box.
1 How did you get home after the party? bed
2 How do you usually go in the morning? By bus? the bed
3 Sam likes to go to early and get up early. in bed
4 I don’t have my phone. I left it . home
5 ‘Have you seen my keys?’ ‘Yes, they’re on .’ home
6 Shall we meet tomorrow evening? at home
7 I like to read before going to sleep. like home
8 It was a long tiring journey. We arrived very late. work
9 Tom usually finishes at five o’clock. to work
10 It’s nice to travel around, but there’s no place . after work
74.4 Complete the sentences. Choose at/in/to + hospital, school etc.
bed home hospital hospital prison school university work
1 Kate’s mother has to have an operation. She’ll be in hospital for a few days.
2 In your country, from what age do children have to go ?
3 Mark didn’t go out last night. He stayed .
4 There is a lot of traffic in the morning when people are going .
5 When Sophie leaves school, she wants to study psychology .
6 Ben never gets up before 9 o’clock. It’s 8.30 now, so he is still .
7 The accident wasn’t serious. Nobody had to go .
8 If people commit crimes, they may end up .
➜ Additional exercise 29 (page 319) 149
