牛津实用英语语法 the(定冠词)在home等之前的省略
A home
当home单独使用即前后不加修饰词或短语时,不用定冠词:
He is at home.
他在家。
当home单独使用时,可以直接跟在具有运动意义的动词之后,或紧随在具有运动意义的动词+宾语之后。换句话说,
home可以当副词使用:
He went home.
他回家了。
I arrived home after dark.
我天黑以后到家的。
但是,当home之前或之后带有修饰词或修饰短语时,其用法
和其他名词相同:
They went to their new home.
他们到自已的新家去了。
We arrived at the bride’s home.
我们到了新娘的家。
For some years this was the home of your queen.
曾有些年头这里是你们王后的家。
A mud hut was the only home he had ever known.
一间小土屋就是他所知道的唯一的家。
B bed,church,court,hospital,prison,school/college/university人们去这些地方干在这些地方应该干的事时,上述词语的前面不用定冠词the。例如,we go:
to bed(to sleep or as invalids) 上床睡觉或(病人)卧床
to church(to pray)去教堂祷告
to court(as litigants)上法院打官司
to hospital(as patients)去医院就医
to prison(as prisoners)进监狱坐牢
to school/college/university(to study)去学校/学院/大学读书
同样可以说:
in bed(sleeping or resting)在床上(睡觉或休息)
at church(as worshippers)在教堂做礼拜
in court(as witnesses)在法庭作证
in hospital(as patients)生病住院
at school(as students)在学校读书
我们可以说:
be/get back/home from school/college/university从学校/大学上学回到家里
leave school离校,放学回家
leave hospital出院
be released from prison出狱
如果往这些地方去是由于其他原因,则要用定冠词:
I went to the church to see the stained glass.
我到教堂看染色拼花玻璃窗去了。
He goes to the prison sometimes to give lectures.
他有时去监狱给囚犯演讲。
C sea
go to sea(as sailors)(当水手)出海
be at sea= be on a voyage(as passengers or crew)(作为旅客或船员)乘船航行
但是:
go to/be at the sea=go to/be at the seaside去/在海边
还可以这样说:
live by/near the sea住在海边
D work和office
work(工作地点)前不加定冠词the:
He’s on his way to work.
他在去上班的路上。
He is at work.
他在上班。(在办公室或工作地点)
He isn’t back from work yet.
他还没(从办公室)下班回来。
注意:at work也可表示working(工作):
hard at work=working hard在努力工作
He’s hard at work on a new picture.
他正在努力地画一幅新画。
office(工作地点)前需要加定冠词the:
He is at/in the office.
他在办公室。
be in office(不加the)则表示担任一个官/公职(通常指政界职位)。
be out of office=be no longer in power不再担任某一职务,已去职
E town
在讲到主语或说话人自己的城镇时,town前面的the可以省略:
We go to town sometimes to buy clothes.
我们有时进城去买衣服。
We were in town last Monday.
上星期一我们在城里。