why always we use "the" before cinema

[amirgygd]

why always we use "the" before cinema but we dont use it for school ?


i know cinema is specific location and the building is more importnat and school(without the) is about an action in school(studying) but also cinema has a action (seeing movie) so what is the differance ??

 

[emsr2d2]

Why do we always we use "the" before "cinema" but we don't use it for before "school"?

I know a cinema is a specific location and the building is more important and "school" space here (without "the") is about an action in school space here (studying) but also "cinema" has involves an action (seeing a movie) so what is the difference? ??

Let's get back to basics first.

1. Start every sentence with a capital letter.
2. End every sentence with one appropriate closing punctuation mark.
3. Don't put a space before the closing punctuation mark.
4. Always put a space before opening brackets.

You need to work on your use of articles.

Your opening claim isn't true. We don't always use "the" before "cinema".
Cinema is my favourite art form.
I need to buy a cinema ticket.

I suspect you neglected to mention that you're talking about them when they're preceded by "at".

I'm at the cinema.
He's at school.

Is that closer to your question?

 

[amirgygd]

Thank you for your comments.
However, unfortunately, your answer was not what I was looking for.
What I mean is that when we use the words cinema and school, both of which refer to a place, in a general sense, we use no article (or “a”) before school, but we use the before cinema.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you for your comments.
However, unfortunately, your answer was not what I was looking for.
What I mean is that when we use the words "cinema" and "school", both of which refer to a place, in a general sense, we use no article (or “a”) before school, but we use "the" before "cinema".

Please give us several example sentences to demonstrate what you mean.

 

[amirgygd]

For example:
Animals don't go to school.
Animals don't go to the cinema.

 

[Annabel Lee]

What I mean is that when we use the words cinema and school, both of which refer to a place, in a general sense, we use no article (or “a”) before school, but we use the before cinema.

It's possible and grammatical to use a (the indefinite article) before cinema in suitable contexts.

I haven't been to a cinema in a long time. I mainly watch movies at home now.

 

[probus]

My guess is that it is paralellism. We say go to the theatre, the ballet, or the opera. Beyond that, I don't know any reason for the definite article.

 

[emsr2d2]

For example:
Animals don't go to school.
Animals don't go to the cinema.

I was close with my guess. You were talking about the use of those words after a preposition.

 

[amirgygd]

 

[teechar]

The use of articles in English is quite complex. Yes, there are the basic rules which are useful and which you should learn; but there are also many exceptions and special cases, which learners usually become familiar with as their learning advances.

In response to your original question, take a look at the explanations in the links below (especially the special cases tables):

Special Cases in the Use of the Definite Article | Writing Advice

advice.writing.utoronto.ca

Special Uses of the Definite Article "the" | SFU Library

www.lib.sfu.ca

 

[emsr2d2]

There are some things that you just have to learn as you become more experienced with English. The more you read (good quality) English, watch TV and films in English, and listen to talk radio in English, the more you'll pick up on these usages. Here's evidence that a simple situation can use your two words with no article, the indefinite article and the definite article:

I hated going to school when I was a kid. However, yesterday I went back to the school I attended and I got very emotional. I was surprised that a school could have that effect on me.

Cinema is my favourite art form. I feel very comfortable in a cinema and I go as often as possible. In fact, I went to the cinema this morning before meeting a friend for lunch!

 

[jutfrank]

The question is about the apparently odd use of the definite article to refer generically to certain institiutions that are typically found in modern towns and cities. When we ask, for example, Do you ever go to the cinema?, we're not asking about one particular picture house but rather about the general idea of going to any movie theatre anywhere.

Here are several more very common examples:

the gym
the pub
the bank
the dentist's
the hairdresser's
the shop (BrE)
the hospital (AmE)

The usual historical explanation for this is that when this usage came into common practice, there would typically be only one cinema, bank, hospital, etc.

Interestingly, there are certain institutions to which this usage of a definite article doesn't apply, and these include 'school, unversity, court, prison, hospital (in BrE), church', and several more. In such cases, there is the sense that one is in some way a member of said institution. Compare:

He's in prison. (= He is an inmate)
He's in the prison. (= He is located in a specific prison building)

She's at school. (= She is enrolled as a pupil)
She's at the school. (= She is located in the vicinity of a specific school)

All these phrases, with or without the definite article, are almost always used in preposition phrases (in, at, to), since they express a sense of place of some kind.

 

[amirgygd]

The question is about the apparently odd use of the definite article to refer generically to certain institiutions that are typically found in modern towns and cities. When we ask, for example, Do you ever go to the cinema?, we're not asking about one particular picture house but rather about the general idea of going to any movie theatre anywhere.

Here are several more very common examples:

the gym
the pub
the bank
the dentist's
the hairdresser's
the shop (BrE)
the hospital (AmE)

The usual historical explanation for this is that when this usage came into common practice, there would typically be only one cinema, bank, hospital, etc.

Interestingly, there are certain institutions to which this usage doesn't apply, and these include 'school, unversity, court, prison, hospital (in BrE), church', and several more. In such cases, there is the sense that one is in some way a member of said institution. Compare:

He's in prison. (=He's an inmate)
He's in the prison. (He is located in the building)

Yes, all these phrases, with or without the definite article, are almost always used in preposition phrases (in, at, to), since they express a sense of place.

Thank you so much.
I got my answer.