Reader's question: Which is correct: staff or staffs when referring to people? Answer: The correct word is staff if you are referring to a group of people within an organisation. Pam Peters points out that the use of staff as a collective noun creates the need for a word to describe an individual member of staff.

When can I use staffs?

Re: 'Staff' or 'Staffs'

Note 2: For staff in the sense of "a body of employees", the plural is always staffs; otherwise, both staffs and staves are acceptable, except in compounds; such as flagstaffs.

What is the meaning of staffs?

1 : a pole, stick, rod, or bar used as a support or as a sign of authority the staff of a flag a bishop's staff. 2 plural staffs : a group of persons serving as assistants to or employees under a chief a hospital staff the administrative staff.

How do you pronounce staff plural?

1. ¹ staff /ˈstæf/ Brit /ˈstɑːf/ noun.
2. plural staffs or staves /ˈsteɪvz/
3. plural staffs or staves /ˈsteɪvz/

Is it all staff or all staff?

In any case, any time you use the word “all,” the verb must be plural. All staff is required to complete the questionnaire. (incorrect – The word “all” must be followed by a plural verb.) All staff are required to complete the questionnaire.

Staff or Staffs? | English Everyday - Long Long Ago Raja

Can we say staffs?

Staff or staffs

Answer: The correct word is staff if you are referring to a group of people within an organisation. ... Words commonly used are employee or staffer. You can also use staffs as a third-person singular verb meaning 'to work or operate'.

What is the difference between staff and employee?

Staff is “a group of people who work for an organization or business.” A worker is “a person who does a particular job to earn money.” Whereas, an employee refers to “a person who works for another person or for a company for wages or a salary.”

Is all staff singular or plural?

Staff (when meaning a group of employees) is a collective noun with no plural. So, it's "our staff do good work". When referring to a group of sticks, it's "staffs" in American English and "staffs" or "staves" everywhere else.

How do you make information plural?

The noun information can be countable or uncountable. In more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be information. However, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be informations e.g. in reference to various types of informations or a collection of informations.

Why is it called a staff?

The etymology of the word “Staff” as it relates to a group of people one works with finds its history in the military. Accordingly, it means: “group of officers supporting a general.” Physically, a “Staff” is also a walking stick, or a device used to help the person stand or walk.

Is it correct to say stuffs?

"Stuffs" as a noun is incorrect. The reason it is different from other collective nouns is because it is also a mass noun. Words like rice, water, smoke, and cement are all mass nouns (or uncountable nouns). You could say "several piles of stuff" to make it plural, but not "several stuffs."

Is staff singular or plural UK?

If the collective noun (staff) is acting as a single unit, use the singular verb: “The staff is very efficient.” If the collective noun is meant to highlight the actions of discrete individuals who are all doing different things, use the plural verb: “The staff are working on many projects for the holiday party.”

How do you use staff in a sentence?

1. Bread is the staff of life.
2. A staff is quickly found to beat a dog with.
3. All the hospital staff were wonderfully supportive.
4. There are standard procedures for dismissing staff.
5. We'll be down to a skeleton staff over Christmas.
6. He refused to name the members of staff involved.

What is the meaning of office staff?

Noun. 1. office staff - professional or clerical workers in an office; "the whole office was late the morning of the blizzard" office. staff - personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task; "the hospital has an excellent nursing staff"; "the general relied on his staff to make routine decisions"

Is staff singular or plural Chicago Manual of Style?

faculty and staff members. I think it depends on what you mean exactly. When the jury is acting as a unit then you should use singular. If the family members have all gone on vacation but not together, you should use plural.

Which type of noun is staff?

staff used as a noun:

(plural: staffs or staves) a long, straight stick, especially one used to assist in walking. (plural: staves) A series of horizontal lines on which musical notes are written. (plural: staff) The employees of a business. (e.g. The company employed 10 new staff this month.)

What is the plural of butterfly?

¹ butterfly /ˈbʌtɚˌflaɪ/ noun. plural butterflies.

What is faculty vs staff?

Faculty is a term used for a group of people who can teach students all the knowledge they have in institutions like schools and colleges. Staff is a term used for a group of people who have different educational backgrounds and are employed by the institution for other jobs except teaching.

Is a worker an employee?

An employee is an individual employed under a contract of employment. A worker who is not an employee works under a contract whereby the individual "undertakes to do or perform personally any work or services for another party to the contract whose status is not … that of a client or customer" (s.

What is plural for dice?

The plural form is dice. If you roll dice, you are rolling two or more game pieces. If you roll a die, you are only using one piece.

Is staff countable or uncountable?

2 stick [countable] (plural staves /steɪvz/) a) old use a long thick stick to help you walk b) a long thick stick that an official holds in some ceremonies3 music [countable] especially American English the set of five lines that music is written on SYN stave4 → the staff of life → general staff, ground staff ...

Is it furniture or furnitures correct?

Furniture is an uncountable noun and is not used in the plural. You say: The house has some beautiful old furniture. ✗Don't say: The house has some beautiful old furnitures. Furniture is always followed by a singular verb: The furniture was in good condition.