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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > "Part" or "Parts" List?
"Part" or "Parts" List?
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douglas
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"Part" or "Parts" List?
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Hi all, A colleague posted me a question that I would like to explore a little: Which one (or both) is correct? spare parts list spare part list I know my thoughts on it, but will hold those until I hear your responses. Which would you use? Is one more corect than the other? Is it a BE/AE thing? Is there some kind of grammatical rule to support one or the other? Looking forward to your inputs, Douglas |
7 Feb 2013
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alex1968
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I would say a spare parts � list because the list is comprised of spare parts, although grammatically if you wanted to make it into an adj it would be something like a spare-part list but it doesn �t sound right |
7 Feb 2013
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maryse pey�
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Well when I was young I was taught the following rule : You can say a four-star hotel OR a four stars hotel : when you have an hypen no plural for the 2nd word and when there is no hyphen there is an "s" of plural. On another hand can �t it depend on the meaning like in French : do you speak on the many parts available on the list or do you consider the "parts" as a whole, as a notion of "spare part", the most important being the available list ? Just a reflection of mine. May it help ?
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7 Feb 2013
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yanogator
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I agree with spare parts list, mainly because the fact that it �s a list emphasizes the plural nature of it. Bruce |
7 Feb 2013
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douglas
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to feed the fire:
However, doesn �t one say "grocery list" and not "groceries list"? How is this different?
Douglas |
7 Feb 2013
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maryse pey�
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I would say that you are going to buy items at the grocer �s, that is to say several different products all available in the same shop. I think too at the difference between "fruit" and "fruits". The 1st is when you speak about the notion of fruit, whatever sweet food called fruit it can be from the banana to the cherry or some other exotic fruit, and when you want the "fruits" that are on the table you think of the specific number of them or of the different categories you can see. I think that it mainly depends on the notion you want to emphasize. Am I right or wrong ?
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7 Feb 2013
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Mariethe House
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Grocery, bakery, butchery is a category of food
so for exmple you write a grocery list and a bakery list and a butchery list( although I �v � never heard the last one ) and from each one of the shops, you buy specific items like salt, flour, pepper, flour, sugar and these itemss are: groceries! Shall I continue for the other shops?
Have you written you grocery list for tomorrow , Douglas, to help you remember what groceries you need to buy! And now, after this explanation I am flat out!! Phew!!
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7 Feb 2013
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douglas
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So, thanks for all the input (and smiles). You have all confirmed my thoughts on the subject. I was really looking for a way to discount the use of "spare part list" (though I do see it used in industry occasionally). I like the adjective explanation, but hadn�t given any thought to the hyphen.
Thanks! Now I can, in good conscience, stand by the advice I gave my colleague.
Have a great weekend,
Douglas |
8 Feb 2013
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