a student card/a student's card/a students' card and 2 more questions

Hey,

Here I am after some time with another load of questions rambling through my poor dumb head for a time. :-)

#1 Accommodation costs 20 pounds or Accommodations cost 20 pounds?

My view: Ive always thought the word accommodation is uncountable but recently Ive been advised to use the plural. :-o


#2 You will get a discount upon presenting a student card/a student's card/a students' card/students' card?

My comment: Ive never understood this one. Is there any rule to using similar phrases?


#3 When we are talking about course units, what do we say? A successful student will be awarded/evaluated/granted/conferred five credits.



That who will answer all my questions intelligibly will be awarded my mum's cake. ;-)

Thanks beforehand, friends.

Yours ever-wondering,

Waawe

I'll do anything for cake.

1) Accommodations is indeed usually used in the plural when you are talking about lodging, a hotel room, etc.

(An accomdation is when you change something to help someone be able to do something - like providing a sign-language interpreter for someone who is deaf.)

2) Often we use the singular form of a noun as an adjective. Table leg, piano bench, student ID card, etc. (There are a few execptions: sports arena, sports car)

3) I would use awarded. Or the credits will be conferred upon the student. Granted isn't quite right - and evaluated isn't even close.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barb_D

I'll do anything for cake.

1) Accommodations is indeed usually used in the plural when you are talking about lodging, a hotel room, etc.

(An accomdation is when you change something to help someone be able to do something - like providing a sign-language interpreter for someone who is deaf.)

2) Often we use the singular form of a noun as an adjective. Table leg, piano bench, student ID card, etc. (There are a few execptions: sports arena, sports car)

3) I would use awarded. Or the credits will be conferred upon the student. Granted isn't quite right - and evaluated isn't even close.

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Thanks for the brisk answer, Dee.

#1 May there be any chance of accommodation being plural only in American English, but considered uncountable in BE? I'd bet the cake.... Can an English person step in with confirmation or denial? Anglika, maybe?

#2 Why is then on my course book written 'a student's book' and not 'a student book'?

#3 No further inquires into this one. :-)

#4 The cake's still in the oven. :-D

Thanks for your time, this websites amazing, helps a lot to my poor dumb head...

#2 is actually pretty flexible.

For example, I'm in a writers group. Or is it a writers' group? Or do I go to writer group? Teacher lounge or teachers' lounge? The Physician's Desk Reference Set? (Only one physician at a time uses the book, just like only one student at a time uses the student's book.)

There are many that can be "right" in that example.

As for #1, I'll let a BrE speaker answer that!