Articles in Fixed Expressions and Idioms

Articles in fixed expressions and idioms follow established patterns that often defy logical grammatical rules, requiring memorisation rather than systematic analysis. These expressions have evolved through centuries of usage, creating combinations that native speakers use automatically but learners must learn as complete units to sound natural and fluent.

Understanding these fixed patterns is crucial because they appear constantly in everyday English conversation, formal writing, and idiomatic speech. From time expressions ("in the morning" vs "at night") to prepositional phrases ("by car" vs "on the bus"), these combinations affect how natural your English sounds to native speakers.

What makes these expressions particularly challenging is that similar-seeming phrases often use different article patterns without clear logical reasons. The differences between "go to hospital" (British) and "go to the hospital" (American), or between "play the piano" and "play football" reflect historical development and cultural conventions rather than grammatical logic.

Mastering articles in fixed expressions will help you sound more natural and avoid the hesitation that comes from trying to apply logical rules to illogical patterns. These expressions are best learned as complete phrases, allowing you to use them confidently and correctly in appropriate contexts without overthinking the grammatical reasoning behind them.

Formation

Time Expressions

Time expressions follow specific patterns that must be memorised

Similar time words can use different articles depending on context

With "the":

in the morning
in the afternoon
in the evening
the day before yesterday
the day after tomorrow

Without articles:

at night
at dawn
at dusk
last week
next month

Context-dependent:

yesterday morning (specific day)
on Monday morning
this evening
tomorrow afternoon
Sunday night

Transportation and Movement

Transportation expressions use different prepositions and articles

"By" + transport method usually has no article

No article with "by":

by car
by bus
by train
by plane
on foot

With "the" when specific:

on the bus (specific bus)
in the car (specific car)
on the train (specific train)
catch the plane
miss the bus

Places and Institutions

Place expressions vary between British and American English

The same place can use different articles depending on purpose

No article (institution as concept):

go to school (as a student)
go to university
go to hospital (British)
go to prison
at work
at home

With "the" (specific building):

go to the school (building/visit)
go to the hospital (American/visit)
go to the office
go to the cinema
go to the theatre
go to the doctor

Ad space

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗ "I go to work by the car every day."

✓ "I go to work by car every day."

"By + transport method" uses no article

✗ "She plays piano very beautifully."

✓ "She plays the piano very beautifully."

Musical instruments always use "the"

✗ "I watch the television every evening."

✓ "I watch television every evening."

Watching TV as an activity uses no article

✗ "He's at the work until six o'clock."

✓ "He's at work until six o'clock."

"At work" as a fixed expression uses no article

✗ "We have dinner in evening every day."

✓ "We have dinner in the evening every day."

Time expressions like "in the evening" need "the"

Time Expressions Reference

With "the":

in the morning/afternoon/evening
the day before yesterday
the day after tomorrow
in the past/future
at the same time
the other day
during the day

Without articles:

at night/dawn/dusk/midnight/noon
last/next week/month/year
yesterday/tomorrow morning
on Monday/Tuesday etc.
in January/February etc.
this/that morning
at Christmas/Easter

Transportation Expressions

No article (method of transport):

by car/bus/train/plane/bike
on foot
by air/sea/land
travel by coach
go by underground

With "the" (specific vehicle):

get on the bus/train
catch the plane
miss the bus
in the car (when inside)
on the motorbike

Ad space

Activities and Entertainment

With "the":

play the piano/guitar/violin
go to the cinema/theatre
listen to the radio
on the phone/telephone
surf the internet

Without articles:

play football/tennis/chess
watch television
listen to music
have breakfast/lunch/dinner
go to bed

Places and Institutions - Purpose vs Location

Institution's purpose (no article):

go to school (as a student)
go to university (to study)
go to hospital (for treatment - British)
go to prison (as punishment)
go to church (to worship)
at home/work

Physical building (with "the"):

visit the school (building)
near the university (location)
go to the hospital (American/visit)
outside the prison (building)
repair the church (building)
clean the house

British vs American Differences

British English:

in hospital (receiving treatment)
at university (studying)
go to university
in future
play sport

American English:

in the hospital
at the university
go to college
in the future
play sports

Quick Reference Guide

Fixed expressions with "the":

Time: in the morning/afternoon/evening, the day before
Musical instruments: play the piano/guitar/violin
Entertainment: go to the cinema/theatre, on the phone
Communication: listen to the radio, surf the internet
Body parts: pat on the shoulder, look in the eye

Fixed expressions without articles:

Transport: by car/bus/train/plane, on foot
Sports/games: play football/tennis/chess
Meals: have breakfast/lunch/dinner
Time: at night/dawn/dusk, last week, next month
Places (purpose): go to school/work/hospital/bed
Media: watch television, listen to music
Fixed phrases: at home, by heart, on time

Context-dependent expressions:

Same activity, different articles: watch television vs turn on the television
Purpose vs location: go to school vs visit the school
General vs specific: have breakfast vs the breakfast was cold
British vs American: in hospital vs in the hospital

Learning strategy:

Memorise expressions as complete phrases rather than analysing them
Pay attention to British vs American differences in your learning context
Notice patterns but be prepared for exceptions
Practice expressions in context rather than in isolation

Practice Exercises

Mixed Practice

Comprehensive fixed expression practice

Related Lessons

Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Master articles with different noun types with clear explanations and practice exercises.

A vs An - Indefinite Articles

Master indefinite articles with clear explanations and practice exercises.

Zero Article (No Article)

Master when to omit articles with clear explanations and practice exercises.

Articles with Proper Nouns

Master articles with proper nouns with clear explanations and practice exercises.

Ad space

Articles in Fixed Expressions and Idioms

Articles in fixed expressions and idioms follow established patterns that often defy logical grammatical rules, requiring memorisation rather than systematic analysis. These expressions have evolved through centuries of usage, creating combinations that native speakers use automatically but learners must learn as complete units to sound natural and fluent.

Understanding these fixed patterns is crucial because they appear constantly in everyday English conversation, formal writing, and idiomatic speech. From time expressions ("in the morning" vs "at night") to prepositional phrases ("by car" vs "on the bus"), these combinations affect how natural your English sounds to native speakers.

What makes these expressions particularly challenging is that similar-seeming phrases often use different article patterns without clear logical reasons. The differences between "go to hospital" (British) and "go to the hospital" (American), or between "play the piano" and "play football" reflect historical development and cultural conventions rather than grammatical logic.

Mastering articles in fixed expressions will help you sound more natural and avoid the hesitation that comes from trying to apply logical rules to illogical patterns. These expressions are best learned as complete phrases, allowing you to use them confidently and correctly in appropriate contexts without overthinking the grammatical reasoning behind them.

Formation

Time Expressions

Time expressions follow specific patterns that must be memorised

Similar time words can use different articles depending on context

With "the":

in the morning
in the afternoon
in the evening
the day before yesterday
the day after tomorrow

Without articles:

at night
at dawn
at dusk
last week
next month

Context-dependent:

yesterday morning (specific day)
on Monday morning
this evening
tomorrow afternoon
Sunday night

Transportation and Movement

Transportation expressions use different prepositions and articles

"By" + transport method usually has no article

No article with "by":

by car
by bus
by train
by plane
on foot

With "the" when specific:

on the bus (specific bus)
in the car (specific car)
on the train (specific train)
catch the plane
miss the bus

Places and Institutions

Place expressions vary between British and American English

The same place can use different articles depending on purpose

No article (institution as concept):

go to school (as a student)
go to university
go to hospital (British)
go to prison
at work
at home

With "the" (specific building):

go to the school (building/visit)
go to the hospital (American/visit)
go to the office
go to the cinema
go to the theatre
go to the doctor

Ad space

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗ "I go to work by the car every day."

✓ "I go to work by car every day."

"By + transport method" uses no article

✗ "She plays piano very beautifully."

✓ "She plays the piano very beautifully."

Musical instruments always use "the"

✗ "I watch the television every evening."

✓ "I watch television every evening."

Watching TV as an activity uses no article

✗ "He's at the work until six o'clock."

✓ "He's at work until six o'clock."

"At work" as a fixed expression uses no article

✗ "We have dinner in evening every day."

✓ "We have dinner in the evening every day."

Time expressions like "in the evening" need "the"

Time Expressions Reference

With "the":

in the morning/afternoon/evening
the day before yesterday
the day after tomorrow
in the past/future
at the same time
the other day
during the day

Without articles:

at night/dawn/dusk/midnight/noon
last/next week/month/year
yesterday/tomorrow morning
on Monday/Tuesday etc.
in January/February etc.
this/that morning
at Christmas/Easter

Transportation Expressions

No article (method of transport):

by car/bus/train/plane/bike
on foot
by air/sea/land
travel by coach
go by underground

With "the" (specific vehicle):

get on the bus/train
catch the plane
miss the bus
in the car (when inside)
on the motorbike

Ad space

Activities and Entertainment

With "the":

play the piano/guitar/violin
go to the cinema/theatre
listen to the radio
on the phone/telephone
surf the internet

Without articles:

play football/tennis/chess
watch television
listen to music
have breakfast/lunch/dinner
go to bed

Places and Institutions - Purpose vs Location

Institution's purpose (no article):

go to school (as a student)
go to university (to study)
go to hospital (for treatment - British)
go to prison (as punishment)
go to church (to worship)
at home/work

Physical building (with "the"):

visit the school (building)
near the university (location)
go to the hospital (American/visit)
outside the prison (building)
repair the church (building)
clean the house

British vs American Differences

British English:

in hospital (receiving treatment)
at university (studying)
go to university
in future
play sport

American English:

in the hospital
at the university
go to college
in the future
play sports

Quick Reference Guide

Fixed expressions with "the":

Time: in the morning/afternoon/evening, the day before
Musical instruments: play the piano/guitar/violin
Entertainment: go to the cinema/theatre, on the phone
Communication: listen to the radio, surf the internet
Body parts: pat on the shoulder, look in the eye

Fixed expressions without articles:

Transport: by car/bus/train/plane, on foot
Sports/games: play football/tennis/chess
Meals: have breakfast/lunch/dinner
Time: at night/dawn/dusk, last week, next month
Places (purpose): go to school/work/hospital/bed
Media: watch television, listen to music
Fixed phrases: at home, by heart, on time

Context-dependent expressions:

Same activity, different articles: watch television vs turn on the television
Purpose vs location: go to school vs visit the school
General vs specific: have breakfast vs the breakfast was cold
British vs American: in hospital vs in the hospital

Learning strategy:

Memorise expressions as complete phrases rather than analysing them
Pay attention to British vs American differences in your learning context
Notice patterns but be prepared for exceptions
Practice expressions in context rather than in isolation

Practice Exercises

Mixed Practice

Comprehensive fixed expression practice

Related Lessons

Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Master articles with different noun types with clear explanations and practice exercises.

A vs An - Indefinite Articles

Master indefinite articles with clear explanations and practice exercises.

Zero Article (No Article)

Master when to omit articles with clear explanations and practice exercises.

Articles with Proper Nouns

Master articles with proper nouns with clear explanations and practice exercises.

Ad space

Articles in Fixed Expressions and Idioms

Formation

Time Expressions

With "the":

Without articles:

Context-dependent:

Transportation and Movement

No article with "by":

With "the" when specific:

Places and Institutions

No article (institution as concept):

With "the" (specific building):

1. Musical instruments and entertainment activities

2. Daily routines and meal-related expressions

3. Work, education, and institutional expressions

4. Healthcare and emergency service expressions

5. Media, communication, and technology expressions

6. Natural phenomena and weather expressions

7. Idiomatic expressions with body parts and physical actions

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Time Expressions Reference

With "the":

Without articles:

Transportation Expressions

No article (method of transport):

With "the" (specific vehicle):

Activities and Entertainment

With "the":

Without articles:

Places and Institutions - Purpose vs Location

Institution's purpose (no article):

Physical building (with "the"):

British vs American Differences

British English:

American English:

Quick Reference Guide

Practice Exercises

Mixed Practice

Related Lessons

Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

A vs An - Indefinite Articles

Zero Article (No Article)

Articles with Proper Nouns

Articles in Fixed Expressions and Idioms

Formation

Time Expressions

With "the":

Without articles:

Context-dependent:

Transportation and Movement

No article with "by":

With "the" when specific:

Places and Institutions

No article (institution as concept):

With "the" (specific building):

1. Musical instruments and entertainment activities

2. Daily routines and meal-related expressions

3. Work, education, and institutional expressions

4. Healthcare and emergency service expressions

5. Media, communication, and technology expressions

6. Natural phenomena and weather expressions

7. Idiomatic expressions with body parts and physical actions

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Time Expressions Reference

With "the":

Without articles:

Transportation Expressions

No article (method of transport):

With "the" (specific vehicle):

Activities and Entertainment

With "the":

Without articles:

Places and Institutions - Purpose vs Location

Institution's purpose (no article):

Physical building (with "the"):

British vs American Differences

British English:

American English:

Quick Reference Guide

Practice Exercises