Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 5/3/83; site ukc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!mcvax!ukc!mjl
From: mjl@ukc.UUCP (M.J.Loudon)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Use of THE - US vs Eng (One rule)
Message-ID: <5061@ukc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Apr-85 07:10:42 EST
Article-I.D.: ukc.5061
Posted: Fri Apr 19 07:10:42 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Apr-85 09:07:18 EST
References: <7200005@hp-pcd.UUCP> <1377@aecom.UUCP>
Reply-To: mjl@ukc.UUCP (Mark J. Loudon)
Organization: Computing Laboratory, U of Kent at Canterbury, UK
Lines: 34


Remember the original "I have the flu". I always say "I have the flu",
but if I was being very upmarket, I might say "I have influenza". Does
the fact that "flu" is a contraction have any consistent effect in cases
like this? Also, "I have polio", "I have liver disease", but "I have THE
shakes", "I have THE lurgi", etc.

In article <1377@aecom.UUCP> werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) writes:
>
>       .... I go to school, go to work, go home, but go to THE
>hospital. I also go to THE store, THE movies, etc. Let me take the 
>standard defense, "That's the way that sounds right to me."
>

I notice that in most of the cases where "the" is dropped, the noun
which follows is almost always descriptive about where we are really
going, implying something about our actions when we get there.

For instance, in the morning I might say "I'm going to school",
because I know I am going to get "school'ed", but if I had to go to
the school out of ordinary school hours for some reason, the descriptive
element disappears, and it becomes "I'm going to the school".

Consider also "I'm going to work" versus "I'm going to the office", and
"I'm going to bed" versus "I'm going to the bedroom". It seems that when
the 'the' is dropped, a particular action is implied as a result.

It is interesting that as well as a missing "the", there is a missing 
"to" in the phrase "I'm going home".

Any comments?

Mark J. Loudon -- University of Kent at Canterbury, UK