In bed/at home etc.
We say that somebody is in bed/in hospital/in prison:
* Mark isn't up yet. He's still in bed.
* Kay's mother is in hospital.
We say that somebody is at home/at work/at school/at university/at college:
* I'll be at work until 5.30 but I'll be at home all evening.
* Julia is studying chemistry at university.
Also at sea (= on a voyage). Compare at sea and in the sea:
* It was a long voyage. We were at sea for 30 days.
* I love swimming in the sea.
At a party/at a concert etc.
We say that somebody is at an event (at a party/at a conference etc.):
* Were there many people at the party/at the meeting?
* I saw Jack at a football match/at a concert last Saturday.
In and at for buildings
You can often use in or at with buildings. For example, you can eat in a restaurant or at a restaurant. We usually say at when we say where an event takes place (for example, a concert, a film, a party, a meeting, a sports event):
* We went to a concert at the Royal Festival Hall.
* The meeting took place at the company's headquarters.
* The film I want to see is showing at the Odeon (cinema).
We say at the station/at the airport:
* Don't meet me at the station. I can get a taxi.
We say at somebody's house:
* I was at Judy's house last night. or I was at Judy's last night.
Also: at the doctor's, at the hairdresser's etc.
We use in when we are thinking about the building itself:
* The rooms in Judy's house are very small. (not 'at Judy's house')
* I enjoyed the film but it was very cold in the cinema. (not 'at the cinema')
In and at for towns etc.
We normally use in with cities, towns and villages:
* Tom's parents live in Nottingham. (not 'at Nottingham')
* The Louvre is a famous art museum in Paris. (not 'at Paris')
But you can use at or in when you think of the place as a point or station on a journey:
* Do you know if this train stops at (or in) Nottingham? (=at Nottingham station)
* We stopped at (or in) a small village on the way to London.
On a bus/in a car etc.
We usually say on a bus/on a train/on a plane/on a ship but in a car/in a taxi:
* The bus was very full. There were too many people on it.
* George arrived in a taxi.
We say on a bicycle/on a motorcycle/on a horse:
* Mary passed me on her bicycle.
EXERCISES
124.1 Complete the sentences about the pictures. Use in, at or on with the words below the pictures. (the airport) (a train) (a conference) (hospital) (the hairdresser) (her bicycle),(New York) (the National Theatre)
1. You can hire a car _at the airport._
2. Dave is ---.
3. Tessa is ---.
4. Martinis ---.
5. Judy is ---.
6. I saw Mary ---.
7. We spent a few days ---.
8. We saw a play ---.
124.2 Complete the sentences. Use in, at or on + one of the following:
sea hospital bed the station the cinema the plane school prison the airport the Sports Centre
1. My train arrives at 11.30. Can you meet me _at the station?_
2. I didn't feel very well when I woke up, so I stayed ---.
3. I think I'd like to see a film. What's on --- this week?
4. Some people are --- for crimes that they did not commit.
5. 'What does your sister do? Has she got a job?' 'No, she's still ---.
6. I play basketball --- on Friday evenings.
7. A friend of mine was injured in an accident a few days ago. She's still ---.
8. Our flight was delayed. We had to wait --- for four hours.
9. I enjoyed the flight but the food --- wasn't very nice.
10. Bill works on ships. He is away --- most of the time.
124.3 Complete these sentences with in, at or on.
1. I didn't see you --- the party on Saturday. Where were you?
2. It was a very slow train. It stopped --- every station.
3. I don't know where my umbrella is. Perhaps I left it --- the bus.
4. Shall we travel --- your car or mine?
5. The exhibition --- the Museum of Modern Art finished on Saturday.
6. We stayed a very nice hotel when we were --- Amsterdam.
7. There were fifty rooms --- the hotel.
8. Tom is ill. He wasn't --- work today. He was --- home --- bed.
9. I wasn't in when you phoned. I was --- my sister's house.
10. It's always too hot --- my sister's house. The heating is always on too high.
11. I haven't seen Kate for some time. I last saw her --- Dave's wedding.
12. Paul lives --- London. He's a student --- London University.
124.1
2 on a train
3 at a conference
4 in hospital
5 at the hairdresser/at the hairdresser's
6 on her bicycle
7 in New York
8 at the National Theatre
124.2
2 in bed
3 What's on at the cinema
4 in prison
5 at school
6 at the Sports Centre
7 in hospital
8 at the airport
9 on the plane
10 at sea
124.3
1 at 2 at 3 on
4 in 5 at
6 at/in a very nice hotel ... in Amsterdam
7 in
8 at work ... at home in bed
9 at 10 in 11 at
12 in London ... at London University
