請問有關the的文法題

Question

最近兒子問我有關國一英文朗文版的一個問題,
課本裡提到在補習班是 at cram school,在學校是 at school
為何不可以是 at the cram school 與 at the school呢? 有沒有加 the 意思上有不一樣嗎 ?
記得以前老師以前敎上學是go to school 而到學校去(不是指上學)是
go to the school
難道這樣的概念不能類比嗎?
請各位英文高手幫幫我解答

Answer 1

問題：課本裡提到在補習班是 at cram school,在學校是 at school
為何不可以是 at the cram school 與 at the school呢? 有沒有加 the 意思上有不一樣嗎 ? -----

先從"at school"來說，"at"一字有個"片語形式"的用法，像是"at table"、"at school"或"at college"， 意思是指"從事"at"後面那個字所代表的功能"，所以"at table"是"在吃飯"、"at school"是"就學中"、"at college"是"在大學就學中"．
至於要是"at"之後的名詞有先加定冠詞 "the"，成為"at the table"、"at the school"、"at the college"則指的是"在該名詞所指的地點，不見得是在從事"at"後面那個字所代表的功能"，舉例來說：
John is at college and he is at the college playing baseball. 或 John goes to college and he is at the college playing baseball. (John現在大學就讀，而此刻他就在學校裡玩棒球)
Peter is at school. He is home but his daddy is at the school waiting for him. (Peter是在學生，他現在家，但他爸爸卻在學校裡等他)
所以，"go to school"(片語：上學當學生學功課)和"go to the school"(一般詞句：去學校洽公或洽私或閒逛...)的情況亦是如此．同理，"at cram school"的意思就是"在補習班就學"


2007-05-26 11:54:18 補充：
底下是某英文網站討論同一議題時，某人士的言簡易賅的說明(http://www.pantokrator.org/2006/04/14/esv-poor-grammar-at-table/
):

2007-05-26 11:55:51 補充：
However, you need to be careful, "at table" does not mean the same as "at the table". Inserting a definite article would change the meaning slightly. "At table" is a state, "while they were in the act of eating". "At the table" is a location and has different connotations. (大意同上面解答文的粗體字)