English Question: in (the?) summer vacation / in spring?

Question

I am still thinking of the usages of in/for/during.
It seems to be OK to say,
"I'm going to get a driver's licence in spring", doesn't it?
Do you also say, 'during (the) spring'?

If "get a driver's license in spring" is OK, why not to say "get a driver's license in (the) summer vacation"?

Or, what difference does it make when there is 'the' before 'summer vacation' or not?

Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

Sometimes the words "During" and "in" can be used interchangeably.
However, for some reason, and I don't know why,
we usually use "During" when we are talking about something that has already happened.
"During the recession ,"
"During t
"During the second act of the play, he felt ill, so he went home."
But, if you are talking about something that is coming up:
"In the summer, school will be dismissed."
"I will take my finals in the Spring."
Then, you use the word "in."
"During my summer vacation last year... ... ..."
"During" usually refers to something that has been in progress in the pastor even i the present, but not in the future.

Answer 2

In the prepositional phrase "in spring," the noun is "spring."

In the prepositional phrase "in summer vacation," the noun is "vacation"-- the season, i.e. "summer" has shifted from being a noun to an ajective (what kind of vacation? summer vacation).

Would you say "get a driver's license in vacation" or "get a driver's license in the vacation"? Because THAT is what you are really asking.