next to school

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "next to school" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a location that is adjacent to a school. Example: "The new café is located next to school, making it a convenient spot for students."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Florida ranks near the bottom among states in per-capita education spending, graduation rates and SAT scores, and increasingly, as Florida's school-age population has exploded, parents have found their children in huge classes, sometimes meeting in gym bleachers, auditorium balconies, teacher's lounges or the portable classrooms sprouting next to school buildings.

The New York Times

But just next to school grounds is a town park with an odd hump of a hill.

Huffington Post

Maybe club is a grand word for it because, really, it was just a big barn next to school that occasionally opened for the odd disco.

Vice

And then comes the meal, at which you're dropped next to school friend Vicky and talked at about netball and how her giant house rabbit's been quite ill lately.

Vice

Jim Romenesko, a former Poynter editor who now runs his own media blog, asked why it wasn't "standard operating procedure at this point to make sure there aren't gun ads next to school shooting-related stories".

Huffington Post

It can be seen that the following factors were no longer associated with non-fatal drowning when adjusting confounding factors: low household income, natural bodies of water next to school or home, incapability to swim, fishing/diving in natural bodies of water, mother as supervisor, old siblings/neighbors/relatives as supervisors.

BMC Public Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Last week, New York City Council members, citing asthma cases among elementary school children, proposed legislation to prohibit people from idling their vehicles more than one minute next to schools.

The New York Times

The family moved to a new cluster of mud-and-thatch homes, inside the park but along the main road, next to schools and a post office.

The New York Times

Ineos said wells had successfully been bored next to schools, churches and even close to the centre of large cities such as Fort Worth, Texas.

The Guardian

"We have got oil wells and gas wells producing next to schools, churches, restaurants, you name it," said Mickey Thompson, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association.

The New York Times

In Antalya, a brothel compound was closed last summer after a mosque was built next to it, because brothels are prohibited from being housed next to schools or places of worship.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a location, consider the context. "Next to school" implies immediate adjacency, so use it when that's accurate. For a broader area, use "nearby" or "in the vicinity of".

Common error

Avoid using "next to" when "near", "around", or "in the vicinity of" is more appropriate. "Next to" suggests direct adjacency, so choose the most accurate descriptor.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "next to school" primarily functions as a prepositional phrase. It modifies a noun or pronoun, indicating the location of something or someone in relation to the school. As confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Science

10%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "next to school" is a grammatically sound and usable prepositional phrase, mainly employed to describe the location of something in close proximity to a school. According to Ludwig, this phrase is correct and appears in a variety of contexts, particularly in news and media, but also in formal business documents. While precise and commonly understood, remember that alternatives like "adjacent to the school" or "nearby the school" may offer more nuance depending on the intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

adjacent to the school

Formally expresses the same idea of being located immediately beside the school.

beside the school

Offers a simpler, more direct way of indicating physical proximity.

adjoining the school

Implies that the two locations share a boundary or border.

abutting the school

Similar to 'adjoining', but can suggest direct physical contact or support.

nearby the school

Indicates a close distance, though not necessarily directly touching or adjoining.

bordering the school

Suggests a shared boundary line between the described location and the school.

in proximity to the school

A more formal way to express nearness without specifying the exact position.

in the vicinity of the school

Indicates being in the general area around the school, rather than right next to it.

close to the school

Similar to 'nearby', suggesting not necessarily immediate adjacency.

in close range of the school

Highlights the short distance, though not necessarily immediate adjacency.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "next to school"?

Alternatives include "adjacent to the school", "beside the school", or "nearby the school", each offering a slightly different nuance of proximity.

How do I use "next to school" in a sentence?

You can use "next to school" to describe the location of a place: "The library is located "next to school", making it convenient for students."

Is there a difference between "next to school" and "near school"?

"Next to school" implies direct adjacency, while "near school" suggests the location is in close proximity but not necessarily touching or bordering the school.

When is it appropriate to use ""next to school"" in formal writing?

While ""next to school"" is generally acceptable, using a more formal alternative like "adjacent to the school" may be preferable in highly formal contexts. The best option depends on the context.