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From: rob@ptsfa.UUCP (Rob Bernardo)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Use of THE - US vs Eng
Message-ID: <556@ptsfa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Apr-85 20:56:24 EST
Article-I.D.: ptsfa.556
Posted: Fri Apr 12 20:56:24 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 02:17:15 EST
References: <7200005@hp-pcd.UUCP>
Reply-To: rob@ptsfa.UUCP (Rob Bernardo)
Organization: Pacific Bell, San Francisco
Lines: 31
Summary: Use of the in fixed phrases

In article <7200005@hp-pcd.UUCP> btc@hp-pcd.UUCP (btc) writes:
>NPR's Morning Edition often uses BBC reports on overseas events.  I have
>noticed that British reprorters will say "Joe Blow was taken to
>hospital" or "Joe Blow is expected to spend two weeks in hospital".
>An American reporter would say "Joe Blow was taken to THE hospital" etc.
>Why the difference?  
>
>Someone pointed out that we say "I'm going to church" - no the.  I would
>have assumed that we would use the THE since each of knows that our church
>is THE church :-).

The use of 'the' in such expressions in English is not semantically motivated,
i.e. it is arbitrary. Consider:

	I have a cold.      	)
	I have the flu.		) similar meaning but different form
	I have tetanus.		)
-- 


Rob Bernardo, Pacific Bell, San Francisco, California
{ihnp4,ucbvax,cbosgd,decwrl,amd70,fortune,zehntel}!dual!ptsfa!rob

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