In or At School

at in prepositions of place

Have you ever been confused about if you should use 'in school' or 'at school'? We will find out which is correct in this lesson.

"In" or "At School" in the English grammar

Which One Should Be Used?

Both 'at school' and 'in school' are correct and can be used, but their meanings are different. 'At school' refers to the physical state of the subject while 'in school' refers to the social status of the subject.

In school

'In school' often refers to the time when a person is actively attending classes and studying as a student. It can also mean the period of time when someone is enrolled in a specific academic program or institution. For example:

My daughter is still in school.

Here, the subject is still a student. They may or may not be physically in school at the moment of speaking.

I met my husband when I was in school.

Here, the subject describes an event that happened in the past, when they were still a student.

At school

'At school' often refers to the physical location of a school, or to a more general idea of being present in a school environment. It can also be used to describe a person's job or role within a school. For example:

My daughter is still at school.

Here, is physically inside the school building.

I met my husband when I was at school.

Here, the subject describes an event that happened when they were physically at the school building or grounds.

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In vs. Within

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We use both in and within to identify that an object is inside something else. However, there are differences among them which we will learn in this article.