B bed, church, court, hospital, prison, school/college/university

the is not used before the nouns listed above when these places are

visited or used for their primary purpose. We go:

to bed to sleep or as invalids to hospital as patients to church to pray to pnson as prisoners

to court as litigants etc. to school/college/university to study

Similarly we can be:

in bed, sleeping or resting in hospital as patients at church as worshippers at school etc. as students

in court as witnesses etc.

We can be/get back (or be/get home) from school/college/university.

We can leave school, leave hospital, be released from pnson.

When these places are visited or used for other reasons the is

necessary:

/ went to the church to see the stained glass. He goes to the pnson sometimes to give lectures.

C sea

We go to sea as sailors. To be at sea = to be on a voyage (as passengers or crew). But to go to or be at the sea = to go to or be at the seaside. We can also live by/near the sea.

D workand office

work (= place of work) is used without the:

He's on his way to work. He is at work.

He isn 't back from work yet

Note that at work can also mean 'working'; hard at work = working hard:

He's hard at work on a new picture, office (= place of work) needs the: He is at/in the office. To be in office (without the) means to hold an official (usually political) position. To be out of office = to be no longer in power.

E town

the can be omitted when speaking of the subject's or speaker's own town:

We go to town sometimes to buy clothes.

We were in town last Monday.

9 this/these, that/those(demonstrative adjectives and pronouns)

A Used as adjectives, they agree with their nouns in number. They are the only adjectives to do this.

This beach was quite empty last year

This exhibition will be open until the end of May.

These people come from that hotel over there

What does that notice say'''

That exhibition closed a month ago

He was dismissed on the 13th. That night the factory went on fire

Do you see those birds at the top of the tree'''

this/these/that/those+ noun + of + yours/hers etc. or Ann's etc. is sometimes, for emphasis, used instead of your/her etc. + noun:

This diet of mine/My diet isn't having much effect.

That car of Ann's/Ann's car is always breaking down. Remarks made with these phrases are usually, though not necessarily always, unfavourable

B this/these, that/thoseused as pronouns:

This is my umbrella. That's yours

These are the old classrooms Those are the new ones.

Who's that (man over there)''¹ ~ That's Tom Jones. After a radio programme:

That was the concerto in C minor by Vivaldi. this isis possible m introductions:

ANN (to TOM): This is my brother Hugh.

ANN (to HUGH): Hugh, this is Tom Jones

TELEPHONE CALLER: Good morning. This is/I am Tom Jones . . . I am is slightly more formal than This is and is more likely to be used when the caller is a stranger to the other person. The caller's name + here (Tom here) is more informal than This is. thosecan be followed by a defining relative clause:

Those who couldn 't walk were carried on stretchers this/thatcan represent a previously mentioned noun, phrase or clause:

They're digging up my road They do this every summer

He said I wasn 't a good wife Wasn 't that a horrible thing to say ^?

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 977