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Is this correct in American English? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages |  | |
| qazwsxed Newbie United States Joined 5017 days ago 18 posts - 17 votes | Message 1 of 23 19 March 2011 at 2:39am | IP Logged | ||
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If someone calls me while I'm at a hospital and I don't know him/her, which one is correct to say in (American English Language) and why:
a)I'm at a hospital I can't talk with you. b)I'm at hospital I can't talk with you. c)I'm at the hospital I can't talk with you. Thanks :) Edited by Fasulye on 26 March 2011 at 2:12pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| rapp Senior Member United States Joined 5732 days ago 129 posts - 204 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Esperanto, Spanish | Message 2 of 23 19 March 2011 at 3:21am | IP Logged | ||
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C is by far the most common, although A is possible. It would imply that one or both of you don't know what hospital you are in.
7 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| jdmoncada Tetraglot Senior Member United States Joined 5035 days ago 470 posts - 741 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish, Finnish Studies: Russian, Japanese | Message 3 of 23 19 March 2011 at 7:12am | IP Logged | ||
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Rapp is correct. An American would never say "I'm at hospital" without any type of article there, and it will usually be the definite one (the). For me, to hear otherwise, feels unnatural and uncomfortable, even though other dialects of the language do not require the presence of an article there.
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| TerryW Senior Member United States Joined 6358 days ago 370 posts - 783 votes Speaks: English* | Message 4 of 23 19 March 2011 at 7:23am | IP Logged | ||
b) I'm at hospital I can't talk with you." "At hospital" is not ever said, as far as I can think of. "At [a / the / some / St. Luke's / this / that / etc.] hospital," but never "at hospital." Of course you would be understood, but you would sound like a foreigner. a) I'm at a hospital I can't talk with you. Since you say you don't know the person calling you, this probably is the best choice. If the caller wouldn't know any reason why you would be at a hospital, this is definitely the best choice. ("Hey, I'm at a hospital right now, buddy, I have no time to discuss buying insurance from you.") c)I'm at the hospital I can't talk with you. If the caller knows why you would be at a hospital (maybe a friend of the person whom you are visiting at the hospital, or somebody who knows you are going there to apply for a job), then "at the hospital" would be best to use. 8 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| CheeseInsider Bilingual Diglot Senior Member Canada Joined 5123 days ago 193 posts - 238 votes Speaks: English*, Mandarin* Studies: French, German | Message 5 of 23 19 March 2011 at 2:25pm | IP Logged | ||
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d) I'm in hospital I can't talk with you.
^ That seems really strange to me, but I've heard SO many people say "He's in hospital right now" or "I was in hospital for 4 days". I'm a native speaker of English and I didn't know one could say "In hospital"... But I guess you can... At least according to all the CRAZY people around me! :P So maybe you could say that as well. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Baracuda Groupie United States Joined 5806 days ago 53 posts - 81 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, French, Russian, German | Message 7 of 23 20 March 2011 at 12:18am | IP Logged | ||
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I've definitely heard British people say "I'm in hospital" without adding the in there.
I would say I'm in the hospital, or, I'm at the hospital. Edited by Baracuda on 20 March 2011 at 12:20am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| oz-hestekræfte Senior Member Australia Joined 5679 days ago 103 posts - 117 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Danish | Message 8 of 23 20 March 2011 at 11:41am | IP Logged | ||
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Aussie here, we definitely say "in hospital"
But to be "in hospital" means you are a patient. A visitor would be "at the(a) hospital" 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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