English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
PREPOSITIONS
Although “at” and “in” can be used alongside buildings like cinemas, offices and malls, “at” suggests you are around the building while “in” suggests you’re indoors:
Dr GAB is *at* the office (this could mean he is around the office) (standard).
Dr GAB is *in* the office (this could mean he is indoors).
British English uses the preposition “at” with nouns such as school and church, while American English uses “in”:
They were *at* church last Sunday (standard; British).
They were *in* church last Sunday (standard; American).
They may not be *at* school tomorrow (standard; British).
They may not be *in* school
tomorrow (standard; American).
GAB
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