stop for the night

[diamondcutter]

I stopped _____the night in a small village while I was on holiday in the Himalayas a few years ago.
A.at B. for C. until D. through

Source: the English test paper, Senior High School Entrance Examinations 2018, Henan province, China

The answer key is B, which I have no doubt about. What I’d like to know is whether “stop for the night” is a set phrase and whether “stopped for a night” also makes sense in that sentence.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, it would be grammatical to use "for a night". However, they have slightly different meaning to native speakers. "Stopped for a night" concentrates on the length of the stop (one night) but "stopped for the night" simply means "stopped and rested and it happened to be night-time".

 

[diamondcutter]

Could I say the definite article “the” in “stopped for the night” indicates that it’s a specific night, which is told in previous context? For example,
Last Sunday evening, we drove to London from Oxford but our car broke down at Reading, so we had to stopped for the night there.
And what do you think of the use of “stopped for the night” in the example above, which was written by me?

 

[tedmc]

It is a set phrase which does not require a previous context.

 

[diamondcutter]

According to what emsr2d2 said in #2, it doesn’t seem that “stop for the night” is a set phrase.

 

[tedmc]

According to what emsr2d2 said in #2, it doesn’t seem that “stop for the night” is a set phrase.

emsr2d2 didn't say it is not a set phrase. "Stopped for a night" has a different meaning.

 

[diamondcutter]

Thank you for reminding me, tedmc. I know now “stop for the night” is a set phrase, or at least a semi-set-phrase.

One more question. What do you think of my use of this phrase in my example in #3? Did I use it correctly?

 

[jutfrank]

It's better to say "stopped over for the night.
See here:https://diffsense.com/diff/stop/stop over

No, it isn't. In fact, that's pretty much wrong.

You can understand stop for the night as a semi-fixed expression. Don't confuse it with the phrasal verb stop over, which is usually followed by a place phrase that expresses where the stopping takes place. The over particle usually has within it the meaning of stopping for one, or possibly a few, nights, though it need not be as long as an overnight stop at all.

 

[tedmc]

No, it isn't. In fact, that's pretty much wrong.

You can understand stop for the night as a semi-fixed expression. Don't confuse it with the phrasal verb stop over, which is usually followed by a place phrase that expresses where the stopping takes place. The over particle usually has within it the meaning of stopping for one, or possibly a few, nights, though it need not be as long as an overnight stop at all.

As my link suggests, "stop" does not mean one stays at a place, whereas "stop over" does.

 

[jutfrank]

As my link suggests, "stop" does not mean one stays at a place, whereas "stop over" does.

Yes, I do know what those words mean, thank you all the same.

Why have you quoted my post? I don't think I follow your point.

 

[tedmc]

Yes, I do know what those words mean, thank you all the same.

Why have you quoted my post? I don't think I follow your point.

Ate you saying this is wrong?

I stopped over for the night in a small village while I was on holiday in the Himalayas a few years ago

 

[5jj]

It's more natural in BrE without the 'over'.

 

[5jj]

As my link suggests, "stop" does not mean one stays at a place

From your link:

Stop as a verb (intransitive):

To stay; to spend a short time; to reside temporarily.

Examples:​

"to stop with a friend"
"He stopped for two weeks at the inn."

 

[jutfrank]

Ate you saying this is wrong?

I stopped over for the night in a small village while I was on holiday in the Himalayas a few years ago

Not quite but not far off. All I'm really saying by 'wrong' is that you shouldn't mix the two expressions as you've done here. Use one or the other.