101 questions that i'd like to ask

[PollyBG]

I have few questions to ask

1. on TV or on the TV

There's nothing interesting on TV.
There's nothing interesting on the TV.
I'm watching a comdey show on TV.
I'm watching a comedy show on the TV.

Which 2 sentences of these 2 pairs are correct?I looked up in the Longman dictionary and it says 'on TV' but I was wondering if it's possible to say "on the TV" as well.

2. Is "a TV series" the same as "a TV serial'?

It's my 1st post here and I hope this is the right place for my thread.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the board, Polly.


(Please capitalise I every time you use it.)

1.

There's nothing interesting on TV.
There's nothing interesting on the TV.
I'm watching a comedy show on TV.
I'm watching a comedy show on the TV.

These are all correct.

2. A series is a number of programmes featuring the same characters week by week, but telling a separate story each time. There may be a continuing thread running through - such as a delevoping love affair - but it is not necessary to follow every episode.

A serial has several episodes following on from each other telling one story over a number of weeks. If you miss an episode you may find it difficult to catch up later.

Rover

 

[billmcd]

I have few questions to ask

1. on TV or on the TV

There's nothing interesting on TV.
There's nothing interesting on the TV.
I'm watching a comdey show on TV.
I'm watching a comedy show on the TV.

Which 2 sentences of these 2 pairs are correct?I looked up in the Longman dictionary and it says 'on TV' but i was wondering if it's possible to say "on the TV" as well.

2. Is "a TV series" the same as "a TV serial'?

It's my 1st post here and i hope this is the right place for my thread.
Thanks in advance!

In AmE, "on TV" is most common.

 

[PollyBG]

(Please capitalise I every time you use it.)
Rover

Sorry!It's not on purpose,just I always forget to press the Caps Lock or Shift.

Thank you very much for the answers!!!
So... "Skins is the best series i have ever seen on TV"...i think i got it :up:

Now i have another question.

4. IN school / AT school
I looked up in the Longman dictionary (this is one of my reliable sources of english studying) and it turned out that both expressions are right.

[COLOR=#000000][FONT=serif][COLOR=#000000][FONT=serif]
[FONT=serif][COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]5   [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]at school [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]a) [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]in the school building [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]: [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I]I can get some work done while the kids are at school. [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]b) [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Verdana][I]British English [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]attending a school, rather than being at college or university or having a job [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]: [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I]We’ve got two children at school, and one at university. [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]6   i[/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]n school [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]a) [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]in the school building [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]: [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I]Sandra’s not in school today. [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]b) [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Verdana][I]American English [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]attending a school or university rather than having a job [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]: [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I]Are your boys still in school? [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR][/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]

Then why do (almost) all teachers say that "in school" is not a right form?! Is "at school" a Br.E form and "in school" Am.E???And is it the same with university - in/at?

 

[emsr2d2]

Sorry!It's not on purpose,just I always forget to press the Caps Lock or Shift.

Thank you very much for the answers!!!
So... "Skins is the best series I have ever seen on TV"... I think I've got it. :up:

Now I have another question.

4. IN school / AT school
I looked up in the Longman dictionary (this is one of my reliable sources of English studying) and it turned out that both expressions are right.

[COLOR=#000000][FONT=serif][COLOR=#000000][FONT=serif]
[FONT=serif][COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]5   [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]at school [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]a) [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]in the school building [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]: [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I]I can get some work done while the kids are at school. [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]b) [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Verdana][I]British English [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]attending a school, rather than being at college or university or having a job [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]: [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I]We’ve got two children at school, and one at university. [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]6   i[/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]n school [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]a) [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]in the school building [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]: [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I]Sandra’s not in school today. [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#0000ff][FONT=Verdana][B]b) [/B][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#800080][FONT=Verdana][I]American English [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]attending a school or university rather than having a job [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana]: [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Verdana][I]Are your boys still in school? [/I][/FONT][/COLOR][/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR][/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]

Then why do (almost) all teachers say that "in school" is not a right form?! Is "at school" a Br.E form and "in school" Am.E? And is it the same with university - in/at?

In BrE, we don't use "in school". You are "at school" if you're physically in the building taking classes, and you "go to school" if you regularly attend but are not currently in the building.

My daughter is at school. (She is there right now).
My daughter goes to school every day. (She might not be there right now.)

My cat died while I was at school. (I was in the school building when my cat died.)
I went to school the day after my cat died. (The cat died on Monday but on Tuesday, I attended school).
I went to school in London. (I attended a London school.)

 

[Rover_KE]

Then why do (almost) all teachers say that "in school" is not a right form?

Have you asked 'almost all teachers'?

Rover

 

[Tdol]

In BrE, we don't use "in school".

I think it can be used for certain meanings, like when talking about students who are/are not excluded from school, though this is moving away from the original question. ;-)

 

[PollyBG]

Have you asked 'almost all teachers'?

Rover

I have had more than 20 teachers in English while I was student at school.Maybe that's why I never learnt that language properly.
In Bulgarian we say "Az uchva v ...uchilishte." and that v means in.So literally translated it's like " I study IN ... school."Long time ago I used to say "in school".Then I learnt the right form and now since this form turned out to be right as well I'm getting a little bit confused. (This time I is capitalised and full stops are IN/ON/ place.)

 

[BobK]

I have had more than 20 teachers in English while I was student at school.Maybe that's why I never learnt that language properly.
In Bulgarian we say "Az uchva v ...uchilishte." and that v means in.So literally translated it's like " I study IN ... school. "A [STRIKE]L[/STRIKE]long time ago I used to say "in school".Then I learnt the right form and now since this form turned out to be right as well I'm getting a little bit confused. (This time I is capitalised and full stops are IN/[STRIKE]ON/[/STRIKE] place.)

Maybe because it was a Bulgarian school, they wanted to get you to avoid the preposition that came naturally to a Bulgarian. (Also, as older teaching materials tend to favour Br. English, they might have been trying to stamp out what they saw as an 'Americanism'. But, as Tdol says, there are circumstances where it'd be OK in Br. Eng: [at Reception: 'Can I see Mr Brown please?'/'I'm sorry, he's not in school today. He's in France with Year 9.'])

b

 

[BobK]

PS 'in place' doesn't sound quite right. 'The full-stops are all in the right place.'

'In place' means 'set up in the right positions [for some particular purpose]': 'Plans are in place for a big celebration.'

b

 

[PollyBG]

Thank you very much for the help!