[Grammar] in class/in the class

Status
Not open for further replies.

englishhobby

Key Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
Do we need an article?
He is a new boy in (the) class.
I think the answer is yes, right?
 
Last edited:

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
It would depend on the context, but without anything more, it sounds fine without to me.
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Without other information, I would use "the".
 

englishhobby

Key Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
I think it's again this difference between BrE and AmE (like at university versus at the university etc)
 

Charlie Bernstein

VIP Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I'm American, and they both sound fine to me. (But at university sure doesn't!)
 
Last edited by a moderator:

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Charlie, a moderator has requested a number of times that you do not use your own emoticon. Is that too difficult? Why not just comply?
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Do we need an article?
He is a new boy in (the) class.
I think the answer is yes, right?

For me, it would depend on the rest of the sentence. I would use:

He is the new boy in the class.
There is a new boy in class.

I would use the first sentence regardless of where I was at the time. I might say it in the relevant classroom, in the staff room, outside the school grounds or just about anywhere. I would use the second sentence if I were actually in the classroom at the time, with all the students and where I could indicate the presence of the new student.

Note that I wouldn't say "He is a​ new boy ..." at all.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top