In home or at home

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Anonymous  #239919  Sun, 25 Jun 06 03:43 PM
please when we say I am at home and when we say I am in home
  
Grammar Geek  #239940  Sun, 25 Jun 06 07:43 PM

Generally, you simply say you are "home" without a preposition, but if you use one, you say "at home." "I am in home" is not natural.

A: What time can I drop off that dish that I borrowered?

B: Come by anytime. We'll be home all day.

 

A: Can I speak to Mr. Smith?

B: I'm sorry, he's not home at the moment.

On the other hand, if you want someone to feel welcome and comfortable as a visitor, you say "Make yourself at home."

  
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CalifJim  #240100  Mon, 26 Jun 06 08:53 AM
in home and to home are not used.
Use at home or just home to say where you are.
Use at home to say where you are engaged in some activity.
Use home, not to home, to say where you are going.

-- Where are you?
-- I'm at home.

-- I'm working at home today.
-- So I'll be home all day.

-- I never go out to a restaurant.  I always cook my meals at home.

-- Where are you going?
-- I'm going home.


CJ


  
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Wolfrolf  #240236  Mon, 26 Jun 06 05:05 PM

We use in when the noun or pronoun after it implies space with limits.  Spaces with three dimensions.

In the house,  in the country.

When it comes to time, in is used with periods of time.

In 2003.  In the 18th. century.

We use at when the noun or pronoun after it conveys a point, that is, no dimensions.

at the party, at home

A party is an event.  It has no dimensions.  Home is in most cases an abstract idea, meaning the place were we belong or where we feel most comfortable.

It is similar when we talk about time.

We say at 10 a.m.

10 a.m only lasts one minute.

The use of prepositions may vary from country to country.

In Britain they say, at the weekend.  In America, on the weekend.

  
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Cool Breeze  #240530  Tue, 27 Jun 06 12:58 PM
I agree, in home and to home are not used.  However, both prepositions can be used with a possessive pronoun:

I don't allow that in/at my home.
We are going to his home.

Cheers
CB
  
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Magic79  #368192  Sun, 20 May 07 10:44 PM

It's also worthwile to search for "stay at home" in this forum and find out that both are correct even though using "at" is more formal.

stay at home = stay home

  
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