Articles in British vs American English

[poli]

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.

[Perikles]

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)

[pjt33]

Mary is staying in hospital after suffering a stroke.

Far more common in BNC that both at varieties put together.

[Perikles]

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.

[aleCcowaN]

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.

[poli]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

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.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

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.

[poli]

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.

[Sancho Panther]

Originally Posted by Perikles

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!

[Don José]

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".

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Don José

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".

The definite article is not used in this context. The only instance I found in COCA is where a 'different' heaven is referred to:

or whether she wanted to go to the heaven that is important to the Jehovah's Witnesses, and she chose the latter

To be honest, you really should not use Google to draw any conclusions. There are a tremendous number of idiots out there, lots of illiterate peole and lots using English badly. A google hit gives no indication that something is correct use.

[poli]

The only time you can use go to the hell is if it further explained. Example:

If you've gone through the hell I've gone through, you would understand.

Hell is proceded with an article if it is a particular hell.

[Awaken]

Originally Posted by Sancho Panther

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!

I do like 'nicked' from BrE

[Sue]

Bear in mind though that 'nicked' can either mean stolen or arrested depending on the context!

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by Awaken

I do like 'nicked' from BrE

Originally Posted by Sancho Panther

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!

Of course the British would find "hospitalized" and "burglarized" distasteful...but your offerings "burgled" and "nicked" sound much better...
Really?

[ROBINDESBOIS]

There are many differences but they are not that important, I think !

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Elaina

Of course the British would find "hospitalized" and "burglarized" distasteful...but your offerings "burgled" and "nicked" sound much better...
Really?

Well, 'nicked' is unpleasant London slang, but why on earth use burglarized when burgled exists? (used very often in London as well )

[Awaken]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Well, 'nicked' is unpleasant London slang, but why on earth use burglarized when burgled exists? (used very often in London as well )

Burgled just sounds so strange to me. But that is just the nature of AmE vs. BrE since I grew up here.

[Kingfisher]

Whenever I think of hospitalized, I imagine someone having been attacked whereas, if it was an injury a person sustained on there own - like a stroke or something - I'd say they've been taken to hospital.

I didn't actually know burglarized was a word until this thread haha, cheers for that.

[Rusty]

Hmmm, it's probably also true that other Americans besides me didn't know that burgle was a verb and wouldn't imagine using it just as much as you wouldn't use 'burglarize'. "America and England are two countries divided by a common language" (a common misquoted quote).