The use of articles with the nouns school, college, bed, prison, jail

The nouns school, college, bed, prison, jail are used without an article when they lose their concrete meaning and express the purpose for which the objects denoted by these nouns serve.

When these nouns denote concrete objects the articles are used according to the general principle.

(a) School, college.

to be at school

to go to school } to be a schoolboy (schoolgirl)

to be at college — to be a student of a college

to leave school — to finish or drop one’s studies

School begins at five.

She went to College in the North. (Gow and D’Usseau)

His history since he left school had been indicated in the last page.

(Thackeray)

It was at seventeen that he decided to leave school.

to go to the school — not as a pupil (the building is meant)

to leave the school — to leave the building

Mother went to theschool yesterday to attend a parents’ meeting.

She left theschool at 7 o’clock.

(b) Bed.

to go to bed — ложиться спать

to be in bed — лежать в постели

And now you had better go to bed. Good-night. (Voynich)

to be in the bed

to be on the bed} an article of furniture is meant

Her portrait was on the wall beside the bed. (Voynich)

to be in prison (in jail) — to be a prisoner

to be sent to prison

to be put in prison} as a prisoner

Mr. Dorrit was in prison many years.

Mr. Dorrit was sent to prison for debt.

The last they had heard of him was that he was in jail for having killed a

person in a fight. (Abrahams)

to be in the prison

to go to the prison} not a as prisoner (the building is meant)

Mr. Dorrit’s family lived in theprison.

Theprison proper dated from 1822. (Dreiser)

The use of articles with the noun town.

The noun town when used with prepositions does not take an article:

(a) when we mean the nearest town (if we live in the country) or the town we live in.

You cannot go to town tomorrow. (Austen)

What can you have to do in town...? (Austen)

(b) when the noun town is opposed to the noun country.

He was not used to country life, having spent twenty years in town.

Otherwise the noun town is used with the definite or indefinite article.

I want to go to the town where I was born.

The use of articles with the names of meals.

Names of meals are used without articles.

When did you have dinner?

Is dinner ready?

Mother is cooking dinner.

While they were at breakfast, the letters were brought in. (Austen)

I have finished breakfast, ring the bell. (Ch. Bronte)

The definite article is used when the nouns are modified by a particularizing attribute or when the situation makes them definite.

Thedinner we had to-day was very substantial.

Thedinner was a success.

The indefinite article is used if the name of a meal is modified by a descriptive attribute.

After ahearty breakfast the four gentlemen sallied forth to walk to Gravesend.

(Dickens)

The use of articles with names of languages.

Names of languages when they are not followed by the noun language are used without articles:

She knows English.

Note the peculiar use of the definite article in: (1) It is a translation from theEnglish (the French etc.), (2) What is theEnglish (the French etc.) for ‘сосна’?

The definite article is used if the noun is modified by a particularizing attribute:

The English of America differs from the English of England.

When the noun language is mentioned the definite article is used: the English language, theGerman language.

USE OF ARTICLES WITH NOUNS MODIFIED BY CERTAIN

ADJECTIVES, PRONOUNS AND NUMERALS

Most.

(a) Most + adjective.

The definite article is used when most serves to form the superlative degree of an adjective.

This is the most interesting chapter in the book.

The use of the indefinite article shows that a high degree of a quality is meant. Most has the same meaning as very, exceedingly.

Caroline found that the old maid had been a most devoted daughter and sister.

(Ch. Bronte)