"In town": does it need an article?

[AlexAD]

Hi, there.
While I have been looking through the English sentences I found the one that caught my sight to it and here it is:
"This is the highest building in town"
I assume that article is missed so it should be spelled as a "This is the highest building in a/the town". I did my assumption upon the rule that every singular countable noun can not be used alone. Am I right?
Thanks in advance.

 

[bhaisahab]

Hi, there.
While I have been looking through the English sentences I found the one that caught my sight to it and here it is:
"This is the highest building in town"
I assume that article is missed so it should be spelled as a "This is the highest building in a/the town". I did my assumption upon the rule that every singular countable noun can not be used alone. Am I right?
Thanks in advance.

No, you are not right. "In town" is correct, as would be "in the town".

 

[AlexAD]

Thank you!
But could you please be more specific at why am I wrong?
Thanks in advance.

 

[petit_minou]

This is commonly called a zero article. Some nouns do not require an article (it is optional) and "in town" is an example. When you use a preposition (in) and a non-specific place (town) you can choose to omit the article.

An example would be:
In town
In hospital (in the UK, it would be in hospital, in the US, it would be in the hospital)
In jail
In church

These are all common terms used in English.

 

[AlexAD]

So, let me make sure I've got the explanations were made above right.
The original "in town" which is correct however might also be spelled as an "in a town" or "in the town". You mentioned about the list of nouns that don't require an article, but I really cannot find it being referred somewhere in the rule. Could you please guide me.
Thank you!

 

[engee30]

So, let me make sure I've got the explanations were made above right.
The original "in town" which is correct however might also be spelled as an "in a town" or "in the town". You mentioned about the list of nouns that don't require an article, but I really cannot find it being referred somewhere in the rule. Could you please guide me.
Thank you!

♥♦♣♠ NOT A TEACHER ♥♦♣♠
In town is an idiom, and it means the area of a town where the shops and businesses are located; downtown; in the centre of a town.

 

[5jj]

♥♦♣♠ NOT A TEACHER ♥♦♣♠
In town is an idiom, and it means the area of a town where the shops and businesses are located; downtown; in the centre of a town.

If one lives outside a town, 'in town' does not necessarily mean the centre.