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Home/Common Mistakes/Grammar/Articles/Using articles with place nouns

Using articles with place nouns

Place nouns are words such as hospital, university, prison, library, etc. You can use them with or without articles. Both are correct but have different meanings.

  • She is in hospital at the moment.
    (no article/we think of a hospital as a place for sick people)
    Let’s meet outside the hospital.
    (article/we think of a hospital as a building)
  • Books are kept in libraries.
    (no article/we think of a library as a place to keep books)
    There is a library next to the shopping centre.
    (article/we think of a library as a building)