why do people not use "the" when talking about going to or coming from "the" hospital??
nawmean?
i hate silent letters!
2007-03-05 05:26:02 · 4 answers · asked by BEAVIS 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
I agree that that sounds like a British usage. However, the answer to your question is YES, if you axe me, I will have to go to THE hospital.
2007-03-05 06:37:54 · answer #1 · answered by Bob T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everyone I know uses the phrase "to go to the hospital", for the same reason that we go to "the bank" or "the grocery store". Then again, we also use the word "ask", capitalize the first letters of all sentences, and are generally in agreement that "nawmean" is not a word, much less a complete sentence. Perhaps you speak a different dialect?
2007-03-05 14:34:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
That usage is mostly British, and I don't know why they do it, but consider that, in most of the US for a lot of its history, hospitals were few and far between, whereas the UK, being much longer civilized, has probably had more of them longer. Thus, the is not so narrowly applicable as it is in most of America.
And let me ask why you use 'axe' in your question, when what you apparently meant was 'ask.'
2007-03-05 13:50:21 · answer #3 · answered by kaththea s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I use the before hospital and so does everyone I know.
2007-03-05 13:34:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋