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Ask for help > What īs the difference?
What īs the difference?
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Nizarsouth
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What īs the difference?
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Hi dear colleagues! I īd like to ask you about the difference between at school and in school. the prepositions at and in when used with places. thanks in advance. |
4 Nov 2010
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yanogator
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Certain places (school, jail, prison, hospital, church) require different prepositions for different situations.
"At school" means a persons location now.
Is Bruce home?
No, he īs at school (the same as "at work").
"In school" usually means that a person is currently a student, but it can also be used the same as "at school".
My son isn īt in school this year, but he intends to start next year.
Mr. Yanoshek, your son wasn īt in school today. Is he sick?
Mr. Yanoshek, your son wasn īt at school today. Is he sick?
I hope this helps you a little, at least.
Bruce |
4 Nov 2010
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magneto
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I think Bruce has pretty much said all there is to be said. Just adding the explanation the OALD gives:
1. [uncountable] (used
without the or a) the process of learning in a school; the
time during your life when you go to a school:
(British English) to start/leave school
(North American English) to start/quit school
Where did
you go to school?
(British English) All my
kids are still at school.
(North American English) All my
kids are still in school.
(North American English) to teach school (= teach
in a school)
The
transition from school to work can be difficult.
2 [uncountable] (used
without the or a) the time during the day
when children are working in a school
Shall I
meet you after school today?
School
begins at 9.
The kids
are at/in school until 3.30.
after-school activities
As you can, in the first case, i.e. when you īre talking about the time in your life when you go to school, there īs a difference between British English (at school) and American English (in school).
In the second case, on the other hand, i.e. when you īre talking about the time during the day when children are working in a school both at school and in school are correct and there īs no differentiation between British and American English.
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4 Nov 2010
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