200 staff

[CSHY]

200 staff：

--It’s quite a big company. Around 200 staff.--

Is the use of “staff” correct and common？

 

[Barque]

In casual speech, yes.

If you want to be more "correct", you could say "About 200 employees".

 

[jutfrank]

Since 'staff' is a group noun, it's not strictly correct here, no. Aside from the correction offered in post #2, another more correct way to phrase it is: a staff of around 200.

However, as Barque suggests, in casual speech few listeners would pick up on or be bothered by such a usage.

 

[emsr2d2]

I think the use of the singular "staff" to mean "member of staff" or "employee" is so widespread that it's not considered an error. I certainly wouldn't notice or correct it.

How many staff do you employ?
My company has about 35 staff.
We're going to need more staff.
I've got fewer staff than I had at this point last year.

 

[5jj]

I'd change emsr2d2's first sentence to:

I think the use of the word "staff" to mean "members of staff" or "employees" is so widespread that it's not considered an error

 

[jutfrank]

Right—I don't want to say it's an error.

 

[Winwin2011]

I think the use of the singular "staff" to mean "member of staff" or "employee" is so widespread that it's not considered an error. I certainly wouldn't notice or correct it.

How many staff do you employ?
My company has about 35 staff.
We're going to need more staff.
I've got fewer staff than I had at this point last year.

Most of the staff members were like that; they returned smiling after we hurt them (quoted from vcocabulary.com)

Is it natural to leave out" members" in the above sentence?

 

[5jj]

Yes.

 

[teechar]

For the benefit of our learners, "staff" also has another (unrelated) meaning: a long stick used for walking, or as a weapon, etc. In that sense, "staff" is a countable noun, hence you may encounter "staffs". However, that has nothing to do with the sense of the word as "employees". Thus:
The company has 200 full-time staff members.
The company has 200 full-time staffs.
The museum has 200 staffs dating back to that period.

 

[Winwin2011]

For the benefit of our learners, "staff" also has another (unrelated) meaning: a long stick used for walking, or as a weapon, etc. In that sense, "staff" is a countable noun, hence you may encounter "staffs". However, that has nothing to do with the sense of the word as "employees". Thus:
The company has 200 full-time staff members.
The company has 200 full-time staffs.
The museum has 200 staffs dating back to that period.

I wonder why sentence 2 "200 full-time staffs" is wrong wheras sentence 3 "200 staffs " is correct.

 

[emsr2d2]

I wonder why sentence 2, "200 full-time staffs", is wrong whereas sentence 3, "200 staffs", is correct.

Teechar explained that in the text above the example sentences.

 

[Winwin2011]

Teechar explained that in the text above the example sentences.

I am sorry that I don't understand.

 

[5jj]

#2 refers to 'members of staff'. The word in that sense has no plural form.
#3 refers to long sticks. The word in that sense has the plural form staffs.

 

[Winwin2011]

#2 refers to 'members of staff'. The word in that sense has no plural form.
#3 refers to long sticks. The word in that sense has the plural form staffs.

I looked up some dictionaries. I regret I could not find the meaning of “long sticks”.

 

[Barque]

I looked up some dictionaries. I regret I could not find the meaning of “long sticks”.

See number 2 here: https://www.wordreference.com/definition/staff

 

[teechar]

I looked up some dictionaries. I regret I could not find the meaning of “long sticks”.

Take a look at this too:

staff

1. the group of people who work for an organization: 2. a person who works for…

dictionary.cambridge.org

You'll even see a picture of a staff!

 

[emsr2d2]

I looked up in some dictionaries. I regret Unfortunately, I could not find the meaning of “long sticks”.

We don't "look up dictionaries". We "look up words [in dictionaries]".

 

[Winwin2011]

We don't "look up dictionaries". We "look up words [in dictionaries]".

Is it correct simply to say " I check/consult a dictionary"?

 

[emsr2d2]

Is it correct simply to say " I check/consult a dictionary"?

Those are grammatical but, of course, the present tense would be used only if you're talking about a regular occurrence. Those verbs are far more likely to be used in a past tense.

 

[CSHY]

Those are grammatical but, of course, the present tense would be used only if you're talking about a regular occurrence. Those verbs are far more likely to be used in a past tense.

If "I checked a dictionary" is grammatical, what does it mean though?