Downstair

[kahhong]

Hello, How to build a sentence with downstair(adj)?


Thank You

 

[oregeezer]

The word is 'downstairS' always plural - nobody has just one!

'I went downstairs to see who was at the door.'

 

[Teia]

The word is 'downstairS' always plural - nobody has just one!

'I went downstairs to see who was at the door.'

Hi Oregeezer

I`ve always used the word downstairs the way you did, but searching on google I found out that the word downstair can be used attributively, as in the following example:

She is in the downstair room.

Is the use of downstair wrong, unusual or awkward in the above sentence?

Thank you.

 

[vil]

Hi Teia,

My computer says that downstair is a synonym of downstairs. (lol)
(refer to Answer.com for information)

Happy New Year.

Regards.

V.

 

[Teia]

Hi Teia,

My computer says that downstair is a synonym of downstairs. (lol)
(refer to Answer.com for information)

Happy New Year.

Regards.

V.

Hi Vil

Yes, you are right. My dictionary says the same:

adjective
on or of lower floors of a building; "the downstairs (or downstair) phone" [syn: downstairs] [ant: upstair]

downstair - Definitions from Dictionary.com

Thank you for answering me.
A Happy New Year to you too.

Teia

 

[David L.]

You won't find 'downstair' in the Oxford, or the Cambridge.
It seems to me this is another example of 'famous for being famous' : if enough people have slovenly pronunciation or wonky grammar, it will become sufficiently widespread to turn up in American dictionaries...and then others catch the virus of 'it must be acceptable to say it like that'.

Maybe the 'downstairs toilet' sounds like possessive case to some people = downstair's or downstairs' toilet. So when they then refer to the toilet on the ground floor, it becomes the toilet downstair.