[Grammar] Use "In" or "At" ?

[yiuho]

Dear all,

I'd like to know how to use "in" or "at", like "I am in the airport" or " I am at the airport", "I am in San Francisco" or "I am at San Francisco", "I am in the train station" or "I am at the train station"? Please let me know when I should use "in" or "at" in this situation. Thanks.

Regards

William

[ha179]

Originally Posted by yiuho

Dear all,

I'd like to know how to use "in" or "at", like "I am in the airport" or " I am at the airport", "I am in San Francisco" or "I am at San Francisco", "I am in the train station" or "I am at the train station"? Please let me know when I should use "in" or "at" in this situation. Thanks.

Regards

William

Not a teacher I remember my teacher teaching me that we use 'at' when the place we mention is small, for example airport, station and 'in' when it is large, for example city, country Hope this'd help you

[Excalibur]

You ring a friend who lives in San Francisco who's expecting you to arrive by plane., who asks, where are you? You reply,"I'm (still) at the airport."
He comes to pick you up and can't see you standing outside. He rings and asks whereabouts you are. You reply, "I"m in the air terminal at the Information desk."

'at' gives the overall location.
'in' expresses the situation where you are enclosed and surrounded by something -that is, 'inside'.
So, a mother is free to do her own activities because her children are at school.
At school, children are either in the playground, or in class.

I am in San Francisco - you are within the city
I'm at San Francisco: the use of 'at' with cities is limited. A pilot begins his pre-flight briefing before take off to London. He will ask the meteorologist, "How's the weather at London."
He is a few hundred miles out of London, and radios the tower, then turns to his co-pilot and says, "It's snowed in at London. They're diverting us to Southampton."