grammar..lets meet in or at the club..Confusing
By RUBESH
@Manasha (2727)
Pondicherry, India
November 29, 2012 1:01am CST
Hi to all
I am greatly confused with the use of preposition in and at in the following sentences.
Lets meet in the club
Lets meet at the club
MANY people say that the second sentence alone is correct. My doubt is that why we should not we use the first sentence .why in is not used in the place of at because club is a place and I think in the club is correct
please share your thoughts.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
29 Nov 12
'In the club' implies that one will meet specifically in the building. 'At the club' is less specific. The meeting might take place, for example, outside the building, by the pool or anywhere that is associated with the club.
It is more common for members of a club to say that they are 'at the club' so it would, strictly speaking, be more normal and acceptable to arrange a meeting 'at the club'.
'In the club' can also mean, in certain contexts, that one is a member of the club, especially when referring to a specific club and asking whether someone is a member ("I'm a member of the Chess Club. Are you in it [= a member], too?")
It is also slang (amongst women) for being pregnant and can also be used to indicate that one belongs to any (unofficial) group of people - for example, the ranks of the unemployed. Usually this is heard as an exclamation/invitation: "Are you out of work/penniless/'in the dog house' [= out of favour with the wife/boss/&c]? Join the club!" ... with the meaning "So am I!".
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
29 Nov 12
"In" always implies being inside something (a building, an enclosure or simply a large environment like a town or a city with imaginary boundaries).
"At" generally specifies a particular location, whether indoors or out. If you arrange to meet someone "at the theatre", it may be understood that you will meet at the entrance or you may specify a particular location and time ("in the bar before the performance"). In the case of something like a club, which is more select and less public than a theatre, a meeting "at the club" means 'I shall be somewhere in the club and you will find me there'.
@betty1989 (751)
• China
29 Nov 12
i think let's meet in the club and let's meet at the club are both OK. the previous one means we should meet in the club, on the crowd. The latter one means we should meet in front of the club or the set place. It is my opion.
