The use of articles with the nouns school, college, university, bed, prison, jail, church.

The nouns school, college, university, bed, prison, jail, church are used without an article when they lose their concrete meaning and ex­press the purpose for which the objects denoted by these nouns serve.

When these nouns denote concrete objects the articles are used according to the general principle.

(a)School, college, university, church.

to be at school- to be a schoolboy (schoolgirl)

to go to school - to be a schoolboy (schoolgirl)

to be at college/university — to be a student of a college/university

to leave school — to finish or drop one's studies

to be at/in church - for a religious service

to go to church - for a religious service

School begins at five.

She went to College in the North. (Gowand D'Usseau)

His history since he left school had been indicated in the last page. (Thackeray)

Pat and Charles go to church every Sunday.

to go to the school — not as a pupil (the building is meant)

to leave the school — to leave the building

Mother went to the school yesterday to attend a parents' meet­ing.

Excuse me, where is the university, please? (a particular building)

(b)Bed.

to go to bed — ложиться спать

to be in bed — лежать в постели

And now you had better go to bed. Good-night. (Voynich)

to be in the bed - an article of furniture is meant

to be on the bed - an article of furniture is meant

Her portrait was on the wall beside the bed. (Voynich)

(c) Prison, jail.

to be in prison (in jail) — to be a prisoner

to be sent to prison - as a prisoner

to be put in prison - as a prisoner

Mr. Dorrit was in prison many years.

Mr. Dorrit was sent to prison for debt.

The last they had heard of him was that he was in jail for having killed a person in a fight. (Abrahams)

to be in the prison– – not a as prisoner (the building is meant)

to go to the prison – not a as prisoner (the building is meant)

Mr. Dorrit's family lived in the prison.

The prison proper dated from 1822. (Dreiser)