So, it’s long been my confusion and frustration but can someone help settle it once and for all. Which is correct:
I go to university OR I go to THE university.
I go to hospital OR I go to THE university.
Common in more ‘British’ speaking places such as Canada and, well, England.
Please - it’s like a missing note in a song. Someone stand up and make me sane!
(then answer why boys bikes hurt more than girls bikes.)
Thanks Teeming!
Both uses are correct, in the sense that both are widely accepted without comment in some speech communities. As you note, it’s a matter that differs geographically (mostly along the usual U.S. vs. Commonwealth lines), but the existence of a difference doesn’t mean one or the other way is wrong. Quite the opposite, in cases like these; it’s a bit like asking “Which is correct? Saying ‘dog’ or saying ‘perro’? The latter is common in more ‘Hispanic’ places…”
Pretty much a simple matter of U.K. versus U.S. convention. “The” is used in the U.S.
I’ve heard native Canadian and British English speakers say “I go to university.” In this case university is being used similarly to how Americans would say “I go to school.” In this case either would be correct.
I’ve never heard someone say “I go to hospital.”
Probably because going to the hospital isn’t normally a habitual activity. (You’ve probably never heard anyone say “I go to the hospital” either.) How about “I went to hospital” or “I had to go to hospital”?
As a Canadian, I would say “I go to university” to indicate that I’m currently enrolled in post-secondary studies. “I go to the university” would be used to indicate that I’m attending the university down the block or something.
One is general, one is specific. Both are correct in a given context.
Good point, that sounds much more familiar
Not to answer my own question with more questions but:
Do the language rules of definite and indefinite articles apply. Specific vs. non-specific references?
In example: The shoes is are too small(definite article) versus Shoes are expensive.
In the examples of included or excluding THE before ‘university’ or other common locations, is the assumption to be that ‘university’ is an indefinite article and there for not subject to the use of THE. In which case the omission of the before the word ‘university’ or ‘school’ or ‘college’ is proper usage unless contextually indicating a definite article?
Even so, wouldn’t you precede ‘university’ with an ‘A’? I go to A university? Wouldn’t that be the indirect article form? Shouldn’t it be ‘I go to A university’ or ‘I go to A school’. Dont nouns require a proper addressing?
One wouldn’t say ‘I go to pizza hut’, would they? I’m not sure really sure if it really “makes a difference” (I contend language is more than regional, as another poster suggested with the use of perro. That is language versus dialect or grammar.)
Is there an English professor in the house?
The usage without the definite article is standard here to describe a general sort of state:
She’s going to uni next year.
My neighbour is in hospital at the moment. He’s had a stroke.
If you were trying to be more specific, then you could use the definite article:
After I finish the shopping I’ll pop over to the university/hospital and drop off that assignment/form.
That isn’t true at all for U.S English. There are plenty of people that have chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or kidney failure that will use some variation of “I go to the hospital”…“to have dialysis three times a week.” for example.
OTOH, “I went to hospital” or “I had to go to hospital” is not part of American English at all.
OP: What is the context of the question, and what region of the world are you posting from?
This is a subtle regional thing. In the U.S., for example, you would never say, “I need to go to hospital.”
–> To indicate that your broken leg needs tending to: “I need to go to the hospital.” (general; no specific hospital in mind)
–> To indicate that you left your wallet in the office of the hospital down the street: “I need to go to the hospital.” (same sentence; specific hospital indicated)
Only context can distinguish them.
I know the latter aren’t part of American English, and that the former can, of course, be produced in such cases as you mention; I was just pointing out that the reason he had never heard “I go to hospital” from the Canadian/British speakers of his acquaintance was probably because he had never run into anyone with such conditions as to require habitual visits from the hospital.
Why? The American equivalent of the Canadian sentence “I go to university” is not “I go to a university” but rather “I go to college”. There’s no article there either.
Actually, I would use the article ‘A’ in cases where I’m about to describe the university in question - “I go to a university which has an excellent arts program”.
I also would say “I’m going to pizza hut,” in much the same way I would say “I’m going to Mark’s house.”
Lack of an article = general state of being
Article ‘A’ = used for descriptives? I don’t really know how to quantify this.
Article ‘the’ = used for specifics
The real answer is that English’s use of articles is inconsistent: We get a cold but the flu. In terms of syntax, there is no difference between the nouns cold and flu.
American usage:
I went to school.
I went to a university.
I went to the hospital. (This is true even if a specific hospital is not the point of the sentence. Logically, it seems, the definite “the” should not be used unless a specific hospital is intended, but it is.)
As mentioned, “I’m going to Pizza Hut” can be uttered, with out the article, even though a specific local Pizza Hut is intended.
Canadians* do not say “… go to hospital.” Not anymore, anyway, if they ever did. I’ve known plenty of people who had to go to the hospital a lot and the British turn of phrase simply is not used here, and I’ve actually asked this question of folks from different parts of the country and they all say the same thing. Canadians use the American convention, “…go to THE hospital.”
It’s pretty much whatever people decide it should be. In my parents’ generation it was quite common to say “he has the cancer” (usually in a hushed tone.)
OTOH, I never heard anyone say “he has the polio.”
I lack personal knowledge on this particular matter (all the Canadians I know are remarkably healthy), but I can well believe that; Canadians are pretty American in many of their speech habits.
I was amused to see that, in this story, both “to hospital” and “to the hospital” are employed.
You might be interested in looking through this thread which covers, even expands on, some of the same areas.