In High School

[Mohammadihamed]

Does 'In' refers to a period of time or a place? Does it mean 'during high school' or what?

Thanks in advance.

[gingejbee]

Depends on the context...can refer to either a time or the place itself.

[Mohammadihamed]

Thank you gingejbee,
the sentence is this:
Jim and sal fell in love in high school, and got married after graduation.

[gingejbee]

You're welcome! In this example, it's most likely that it was the time that they attended high school that's referred to....although they were both there, obviously!

[Mohammadihamed]

Thanks a lot.

[Jackdaw33]

In is acceptable but the normal English word would be 'at', as in 'when I was at High School'.

[Sqad]

Still could be either but I agree with gingejbee.

[Mohammadihamed]

Thank you, dear friends.

[Jackdaw33]

Interesting distinction:

If I say, "I was at Durham for three years" it means that I went to the university there (which I did).

If I say, "I was in Durham for three years" it means I spent time in the prison there(which I didn't!)

[Mohammadihamed]

Thank you, Jackdaw33.

[alavahalf]

Jack .. they often let you off when it is your first offence. What did you do ?

[pastafreak]

Since the term High School is used, I'm guessing this is American usage. When I was 'in High School', that referred to the 4 year period that I attended.

[allenlondon]

Gingejbee is right, it's all about context.

The English tend to say: I was at The Grammar School, rather than in it.

But, we could say, I was at school in the 1950s, and if looking for an alibi, might say 'I was in school when the crime was committed').

An older-fashioned form might be 'I was up at Oxford', meaning attending a college there, although it could mean I had gone to Oxford for something else.

Blimey, Mohammadihamed, it really does get complicated, and is highly dependent on context (and, in the Oxford example, on who is saying it!)

Your cited example "Jim and Sal fell in love in high school, and got married after graduation" is fine as it is - you wouldn't use 'at high school' in this context.

Sorry you asked?

Allen

[Old_Geezer]

Select any one from two.