Bob sat at the bottom of the wide theatre stairs

[Bassim]

I am wondering about the phrase " the wide theatre stairs." Is it correct to say "the wide theatre stairs or should it be "the wide stairs leading to the theatre?


1. Bob sat at the bottom of the wide theatre stairs .
2. Bob sat at the bottom of the wide stairs leading to the theatre.

 

[emsr2d2]

It depends on where the stairs are. Your second sentence can refer only to the stairs which lead to the theatre. Your first sentence could also refer to a flight of stairs inside the theatre.

 

[Bassim]

emsr2d2

This is where the problem is. I meant to describe the wide stairs outside the theatre, but I don't know which noun in English denotes wide stairs which are outside.

 

[jutfrank]

If they are outside, they are steps, not stairs.

Bob sat on the steps outside/of the theatre.

 

[Bassim]

So I should write like this:

1. Bob sat at the bottom of the wide theatre steps
2. Bob sat at the bottom of the wide steps leading to the theatre.

 

[jutfrank]

In 1. I want to remove wide. I think people would probably automatically imagine that the steps were wide. And steps of the theatre is better than theatre steps.

In 2. don't use leading to. The way I imagine your picture, the steps are a part of the theatre. Maybe they lead up to the entrance, but not to the theatre.

 

[emsr2d2]

Ah, I was picturing either a flight of stairs inside the actual theatre itself, ie inside the auditorium, where the seats and the stage are, or a flight of stairs inside the building leading, say, from the lobby or the bar to the auditorium.

I agree that if they were outside, they would be steps, not stairs.