Three entrances at the airport

[Rachel Adams]

If my sentences are correct and my comments next to them too what should I use at the end of the fifth sentence "at" or "in"?

1. "I am at the airport." I am waiting for my flight. A general location.

2. "I am in the airport." In a specific place.

3. "I am going to meet her at the airport." Somewhere at the airport.

4. "I am going to meet her in the airport." In a specific place.

5. "There are three entrances at the airport." Or "in".

 

[Rover_KE]

. "There are three entrances at the airport." Or "in".:cross:

5. There are three entrances to the airport.

 

[GoesStation]

If my sentences are correct, and my comments next to them, too, what should I use at the end of the fifth sentence, "at" or "in"?

See above. Here's a more succinct way to say the same thing: If my sentences and comments are correct, what should I use at the end of the fifth sentence, "at" or "in"?

 

[teechar]

1. "I am at the airport." I am waiting for my flight. A general location.
2. "I am in the airport." In a specific place.

"In the airport" means inside the actual building.
"At the airport" can mean: inside the building, in the airport car park, on the tarmac waiting for takeoff or landing, etc.

 

[Rachel Adams]

"In the airport" means inside the actual building.
"At the airport" can mean: inside the building, in the airport car park, on the tarmac waiting for takeoff or landing, etc.

So a native speaker would not use "in the airport" if he is waiting for their flight but only "at".

 

[tedmc]

You can say you either wait in/at the airport.

 

[teechar]

So a native speaker would not use "in the airport" if he/she is waiting for their flight but only "at".

No. In fact, they are more likely to use "in" than "at" if they're waiting for their flight. See Piscean's post (and my previous post) above.
However, you might hear "I'm at the departure gate, waiting for my flight" because it's impossible to be in a gate!

 

[Rachel Adams]

We are more like to use 'in' with more restricted areas such as the departure lounge or the restaurant.

Then in my sentence if I am saying that there is a café in the airport, I should use "in" because it's a specific location not "at": 1. "There is a café in the airport."

But

2. "I am in a café at the airport". The specific location is "café" not the airport in the second sentence.

 

[teechar]

I don't understand why you insist on "specific". It's not about that. Forget about the airport for now. Which are you more likely to say: "I'm in a cafe downtown" or "I'm at a cafe downtown"? If you'd read Piscean's post above, you would have seen that the keyword there is "restricted".

 

[Rachel Adams]

I don't understand why you insist on "specific". It's not about that. Forget about the airport for now. Which are you more likely to say: "I'm in a cafe downtown" or "I'm at a cafe downtown"? If you'd read Piscean's post above, you would have seen that the keyword there is "restricted".

I used "specific" instead of "restricted", in my post, but I was expressing the same idea, I guess. I would use "in" in the sentence you are asking about because it's a restricted location.
But if I am mentioning two places what should I use?
"There is a café in the airport." "In" if I am talking about a restricted place and "at" if I am talking about"airport" in a general sense. Then I should remove the second "in" before "airport" and use "at".

If there is only one restricted place in the second sentence then I should use "in" before "café" and "at" before "airport".

2. "I am in a café at the airport". The "restricted" location is "café" not the airport in the second sentence.

 

[teechar]

2. "I am in a café at the airport".

That's okay, but note that by "restricted", we're talking confined/has walls rather than specific/particular.

 

[Rachel Adams]

That's okay, but note that by "restricted", we're talking confined/has walls rather than specific/particular.

But regarding the "in/at" difference in the sentence below "in" would mean "restricted" as you explained but "at" isn't wrong either, is it? If I am talking about "the airport" in a general sense.
"There is a café in the airport"

 

[teechar]

Yes, that's right.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Yes, that's right.

One more question, if you please. "I am in a café in the airport" if I use "in" I would be again describing "restricted location." I just wasn't sure if using it twice is correct.

 

[teechar]

I just wasn't sure if using it twice is correct.

You're right. Using it twice in such close proximity is not ideal. That's why "at" would be better instead of the second "in".

 

[Rachel Adams]

You're right. Using it twice in such close proximity is not ideal. That's why "at" would be better instead of the second "in".

In "Essential Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy, there is a picture of an airport with people and it says "There are many people at the airport" it doesn't give "in the airport" as another possibile answer as it usually does. Is it just using it in a general sense?

 

[teechar]

In "Essential Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy, there is a picture of an airport with people and it says "There are many people at the airport" it doesn't give "in the airport" as another possible answer as it usually does. Is it just using it in a general sense?

An airport has terminal buildings, cargo areas, car parking facilities, runways, drop-off areas, etc. "At" covers them all.

 

[emsr2d2]

One more question, if you please. "I am in a café in the airport" if I use "in" I would be again describing "restricted location." I just wasn't sure if using it twice is correct.

I consider all of these equally acceptable:

I am at a café in the airport.
I am at a café at the airport.
I am in a café in the airport.
I am in a café at the airport.

 

[Rachel Adams]

I consider all of these equally acceptable:

I am at a café in the airport.
I am at a café at the airport.
I am in a café in the airport.
I am in a café at the airport.

In Michael Swan's "Practical English Usage" I read: "We very often use "at" before the name of a building, when we are thinking not of the itself but of the activity that happens there.

"I first heard her sing at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh."

The book gives another example and says: "It was warm and comfortable in the club." (A place to spend time). I don't understand its comment. I think it's more helpful to say as it was explained here that "in" is a restricted area. I may be wrong of course.
So "at" is used when speaking about a place generally and also when speaking about the purpose being there.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

So a native speaker would not use "in the airport" if she or he is waiting for a flight, but only "at".

If you're in the airport, then you're at the airport.

If you're at the airport, you might be in it or outside of it.

So if you're at a gate waiting for your flight, you're both in and at the airport.