word required

AnonymousIs it required only if I am talking about or indicating specific staff members?

The' is used only if you are speaking of a specific staff (i.e., group of employees), and often not even then.

Mister MicawberThe' is used only if you are speaking of a specific staff (i.e., group of employees), and often not even then.

Thank you very much, teacher.

I would like to know if it is possible to use 'a' with 'specific staff', since staff is uncountable! Am I missing something here?

I thought I could say ' a specific staff member' or speci

Anonymousstaff is uncountable!

No, it's not: one staff (at one company), two staffs(at two companies).

AnonymousI thought I could say ' a specific staff member' or specific staff members (without 'a').

And you can.

Mister Micawber, it's not: one staff (at one company), two staffs(at two companies).

I see. Does staff mean a group of people or an individual (as in a staff member), or it only means a group of people, and when we say two staffs it means two groups of workers?

AnonymousDoes staff mean a group of people or an individual (as in a staff member)

Nowadays, it is sometimes used as a single staff member, but as such it is always confusing, both grammatically and semantically, so I discourage my students from picking up this habit. If you don't want to use 'staff member', then use 'employee'.

Anonymous

Mister MicawberNowadays, it is sometimes used as a single staff member, but as such it is always confusing, both grammatically and semantically, so I discourage my students from picking up this habit. If you don't want to use 'staff member', then use 'employee'.

Got it. Thanks for the tip teacher!!