"In summer" or "In the summer"?

Question

Please someone explain to me when should I use "In summer" and when  "In the summer" ?For example which one of these sentences is correct ?1.My birthday is in the summer.2.My birthday is in summer.

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

Both your sentences are correct. If the reference is not to a specific summer, the article need not be used but it often is. The article is needed if you talk about a specific summer:

What are you going to do in the summer? (= next summer)
What did you do in the summer? (= last summer)

CB

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks for your answer . So what is the difference between the meaning of my two sentences ?
When I say "My birthday is in the summer." does it have any difference meaning than when I say "My birthday is in summer."

Cool Breeze · Answer

AnonymousSo what is the difference between the meaning of my two sentences ?

There's no difference.

CB

Radovan · Answer

Hi CB,

Choose the correct option:
I met my boyfriend on holiday last/in summer. (last summer is correct, according to the key)

So if I understand it right, "in" can't be used as this sentence refers to a specific summer, not to summer in general. But the option "I met my boyfriend on holiday in the summer" would be perfectly fine. Is that correct?

Cool Breeze · Answer

radovan"I met my boyfriend on holiday in the summer"

It's certainly not ungrammatical, but since in the summer may refer to any summer, just like in summer, there's nothing in the sentence to suggest that you met him last summer. In other words, in the summer doesn't necessarily refer to last summer. People may understand it correctly, though, but you cannot be sure.

If someone says What did you do in the summer? it's generally understood from the context that he means last summer. This is how I see it. There may be other opinions. We'll wait and see.

CB

"In summer" or "In the summer"?

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