Under, in, on lock down/lockdown/lock-down

[Aamir Tariq]

First how should the word "lock down" be written or typed?

Should it be used as one word "lockdown", or should be separated by space "lock down", or should be hyphenated "lock-down"?

When your government has announced a lock down and advised people to stay home. Or may be your are under a self-imposed lock down as a precaution. What is the right preposition to use?

We are under lock down.
We are in lock down.
We are on lock down.

Are there any variants like in Britain people are in lock down and in the USA people are under lock down?

Should we add the indefinite article "a"?

We are under a lock down.
We are in a a lock down.
We are on a lock down.

Thank you.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

As a noun, use either lockdown or lock-down.

As a verb phrase, use lock down (and locked down and locking down).

It depends a little bit on the context, but in general, when it's a noun, it's fine with or without an article.

 

[Aamir Tariq]

What about the preposition

under lockdown
in lockdown
on lockdown

 

[Rover_KE]

We mostly say 'in lockdown'.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd say either "in lockdown" or "under lockdown". Using "on" would be understandable but not natural for me.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

And these days - since the virus got started - I think lockdown has become more common that lock-down.

 

[Aamir Tariq]

And how about using the preposition "on" in this way.

The city was put on lookdown after the pandemic spread through.
The whole area was placed on look down after a few more cases of covid 19 were reported.

Can we use "in" in these "passive voice" statements?

 

[jutfrank]

in general, when it's a noun, it's fine with or without an article.

May I correct this slightly?: When it's a noun as part of a preposition phrase, we don't need an article.

We mostly say 'in lockdown'.

I'd say either "in lockdown" or "under lockdown". Using "on" would be understandable but not natural for me.

I naturally prefer on lockdown. Let's remember that different prepositions have different meanings/uses, so both context and grammar play a part in this. Consider a sentence like this, for example:

We're going on lockdown as from next week.
We're going in lockdown as from next week.
We're going under lockdown as from next week.

Only one of those sentence is correct, right?

 

[Aamir Tariq]

May I correct this slightly?: When it's a noun as part of a preposition phrase, we don't need an article.

I naturally prefer on lockdown. Let's remember that different prepositions have different meanings/uses, so both context and grammar play a part in this. Consider a sentence like this, for example:

We're going on lockdown as from next week.
We're going in lockdown as from next week.
We're going under lockdown as from next week.

Only one of those sentence is correct, right?

Is it the first one?

We're going on lockdown as from next week.