1. He is at school.
2. He is at the school.
3. She is in school.
4. She is in the school.
[Can we use 'the' or do we have to use without 'the'? Do they have difference in meaning?]
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5. They are at school to play baseball.
6. They are in school to meet their children's teachers.
7. They are at the school to play baseball.
8. They are in the school to meet their children's teachers.
[Do we have to use 'the' or not in the sentences?]
1 through 4 are all correct. The addition of 'the' just seems to emphasize that he/she is at or in a particular school that the listener would already know of.
Same with #s 5 - 8. You can use 'the' or omit it.
When it comes to using "the" with locations like "school," there can be some variation depending on the context and the specific meaning you want to convey. Let's break down the differences between the sentences:
1. "He is at school."
2. "He is at the school."
Both these sentences are grammatically correct, but they convey slightly different meanings. In the first sentence (without "the"), it implies that he is at any school or the concept of attending classes in general. In the second sentence (with "the"), it implies that he is at a specific school, possibly the one both the speaker and listener are aware of or have talked about before.
3. "She is in school."
4. "She is in the school."
Similar to the previous set, here also, the use of "the" makes a slight difference. In the third sentence (without "the"), it implies that she is attending classes or the idea of being enrolled in education in general. In the fourth sentence (with "the"), it implies that she is inside a specific school building.
Now, moving on to the next set of sentences:
5. "They are at school to play baseball."
6. "They are in school to meet their children's teachers."
7. "They are at the school to play baseball."
8. "They are in the school to meet their children's teachers."
In these sentences, using or omitting "the" depends on the intended meaning.
Without "the" (sentences 5 and 6), it suggests being generally present at school for a particular purpose, such as playing baseball or meeting teachers. It doesn't specify a particular school and can refer to any school.
With "the" (sentences 7 and 8), it suggests a specific school, implying that they are at or inside a particular school that has been previously mentioned or known to the speaker and listener.
To summarize, using "the" or not largely depends on whether you want to refer to a specific school or the general idea of being at or inside a school.