Articles with Places (at school vs at the school)

When to Use

• •Use zero article for the institution’s primary purpose: at school (studying), in prison (as a prisoner), in hospital (as a patient).
• •Use 'the' when you mean the specific building/location: at the school (the building), in the prison (the building).
• •When you want to be precise: purpose vs location.
• •When you see common regional differences (especially hospital).

How to Form

💡 British vs US note: UK often says in hospital (as a patient), while US commonly says in the hospital. For school, both varieties commonly use at school for purpose.

Examples

Common Mistakes

Related