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Felicityhasse Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Descriptive or possessive? Apostrophe help needed!
Which is correct when referring to the desk/office/workstation manned by nurses on duty in a hospital? Nurses station or nurses' station? I beleive in this context nurses is descriptive so does not require an apostrophe, but I'm told I'm wrong. Can anyone clarify please?
Top answer
Hi felicity, thanks for joining us. Welcome to English Forums. To my ear, it's unquestionably possessive.
- Hi felicity, thanks for joining us.
- Welcome to English Forums.
- To my ear, it's unquestionably possessive.
- If you want to talk about the Los Angeles County Men's Jail, we could have a more interesting discussion.
- But when it comes to nurses, there's no doubt whom the station belongs to.
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6 Answers
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Hi felicity, thanks for joining us. Welcome to English Forums.
To my ear, it's unquestionably possessive.
If you want to talk about the Los Angeles County Men's Jail, we could have a more interesting discussion.
But when it comes to nurses, there's no doubt whom the station belongs to.
I believe if you want to intentionally use "nurse" as a descriptor, it must
To my ear, it's unquestionably possessive.
If you want to talk about the Los Angeles County Men's Jail, we could have a more interesting discussion.
But when it comes to nurses, there's no doubt whom the station belongs to.
I believe if you want to intentionally use "nurse" as a descriptor, it must
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Sorry, but I must disagree with Avangi. I do not see the station as belonging to the nurses, but rather to the hospital. Nurses, here, is descriptive, as I see it.
In a case where there is no s, where plurality can be confused with possession, it might be compared to the staff lounge. I would never consider the staff to have ownership of the lounge.
In a case where there is no s, where plurality can be confused with possession, it might be compared to the staff lounge. I would never consider the staff to have ownership of the lounge.
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I go along with Philip. I don't know, I might be wrong, even us natives make mistakes regarding this. Anyways, I'd more likely say:
Where is the nurse staion?
Because if it was Where is the nurse's station then I could also say: Where is the sation of the nurse? and in this case the latter one sounds so strange and incorrect.
Where is the nurse staion?
Because if it was Where is the nurse's station then I could also say: Where is the sation of the nurse? and in this case the latter one sounds so strange and incorrect.
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AvangiOkay, guys, who owns the man / men room?Congratulations, Avangi! You have uncovered "the exception that proves the rule". Cheers!(please hurry!)
[When in a strange place, I always ask for the "summ
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