In or At: In the office or at the office?
How should we say it: ‘I’ll meet you at the office’ or ‘I’ll meet you in the office’.
Both are correct!
If you think about the office as a point, use AT. If you think about the office as a building, use IN.
In normal speech, we generally use AT, unless we want to make certain that we’re going to meet the person really inside the office building and not in the street outside.
• I’ll meet you at the office.
• I saw him at the office.
• We had our first kiss at the office.
For all of these examples above, it could inside the office, by the door of the office, in the corridor or hallway outside the office, even outside the building where the office is, in the street.
• I’ll meet you in the office.
• I saw him in the office.
• We had our first kiss in the office.
For all of these examples above, it is inside the office, but it’s not in the street or the hallways outside.
This is the same with other buildings, like the bank, or the supermarket, or the library, or the theatre, or the restaurant.
Let’s review! Put in ‘at‘ if the situation is not special, or put in ‘in‘ if the person really wants to emphasize inside the building.
