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Articles in British vs American English

 

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  #1  
Old July 04, 2012, 06:36 PM
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Articles in British vs American English

The Qing vase was bought at auction for 2000 pounds.

The Qing vase was bought at an auction for 3500 dollars.


Mary is staying at hospital after suffering a stroke.

Mary is staying at the hospital after suffer a stroke.

This is just a minor difference that advanced non-native English students may not know about. I wish I could provide with a definitive rule, but there are times when British English excludes the article when we Americans use it. These are just two examples.
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  #2  
Old July 05, 2012, 12:32 AM
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Those examples without article seem quite natural to me, and I think reflect a subtle difference between something general and a recognized procedure. Another one is

Children should behave themselves at table

'at table' means specifically sitting at the table for a meal.

I can't think of other examples, but I bet there are quite a few.

What about these in AmE?
at prayer
at work
in bed (but in the garden)
indoors (but in the house)
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  #3  
Old July 05, 2012, 01:06 AM
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Mary is staying in hospital after suffering a stroke.

Far more common in BNC that both at varieties put together.
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Old July 05, 2012, 03:52 AM
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Yes, of course. That was too early in the morning for me. Also:

Mary was taken to hospital ...

and I'm afraid I find the AmE hospitalized just awful. I wonder whether the need to invent a totally unnecessary and ugly word derives from a discomfort with the available verb phrase above.
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Old July 05, 2012, 05:28 AM
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I'm following this thread with interest. BTW, I may have thought that "taken into hospital" wouldn't imply a check-in necessarily, while hospitalize would, the same say with "ser trasladado/llevado||ir al hospital" y "hospitalizar/se" in Spanish.
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Old July 05, 2012, 07:33 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aleCcowaN View Post
I'm following this thread with interest. BTW, I may have thought that "taken into hospital" wouldn't imply a check-in necessarily, while hospitalize would, the same say with "ser trasladado/llevado||ir al hospital" y "hospitalizar/se" in Spanish.
To be hospitalized or to be in the hospital (as a patient) is American English for the the British in hospital and the Spanish en el hospital.

I don't think taken into hostal is usual English. Taken to the hospital (AmE)
and taken to hospital (BrE) is more natural sounding.
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Old July 05, 2012, 08:50 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aleCcowaN View Post
I may have thought that "taken into hospital" wouldn't imply a check-in necessarily, while hospitalize would, .
As @Poli says, that isn't English. Technically, I suppose 'taken to hospital' does not necessarily mean checked in, but since this is (almost always) by ambulance, the difference is a fine one and probably not valid.

Oh, and never 'checked in' but admitted.

So 'taken to hospital' would (usually) suggest an emergency and admission

But 'admitted to hospital' suggests less urgency, and could have got there on a bicycle, but still serious enough to stay overnight.

Also, released from hospital.
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Old July 05, 2012, 09:59 AM
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Check in is better used for hotel registration, but in AmE you can check in to the hospital or ER. I don't think I would use the term, because it seems very casual.
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Old July 06, 2012, 06:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Perikles View Post
and I'm afraid I find the AmE hospitalized just awful...
Perikles, I too share your distaste for that one (of course being English I would, wouldn't I?); but I have to say that 'burglarized' annoys me far, far more!

"Burgled" in GB English - should you be wondering!
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Last edited by Sancho Panther; July 06, 2012 at 06:35 AM.
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Old July 10, 2012, 04:59 AM
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What about "go to (the) hell/heaven"?

There are many results in Google for "go to the hell/heaven". But I wonder if they are actually another example of the AmE use of the article, since there is a song by the American Zappa called "When Yuppies Go to Hell".
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