Admission or Admissions

[John Dunn]

In confirmation of Paul Gallagher's comments, I can say that I would go for plural in all his examples except for 'admission requirements' and 'admission decisions'; in the latter case I would use singular with reference to individual students and plural for questions of policy.  Perhaps I might also repeat what I may have said here before and what I have certainly said off-list to some colleagues (including Professor Dibrova), namely that English higher education terminology is notoriously unstandardised and that there are considerable variations not only between, but also within individual countries.  If you ever want to arouse the ire of the Scots (not something usually to be recommended), you don't insult their football team; you merely suggest that the four ancient Scottish universities might wish to reconsider their use of the title Master of Arts for a first degree. 

John Dunn.

 
-----Original Message-----
From: "Paul B. Gallagher" <paulbg at PBG-TRANSLATIONS.COM>
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 10:23:23 -0500
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Admission or Admissions


The general pattern in these constructions is that British English 
favo(u)rs the plural, whereas American favors the unmarked (singular) 
form. So for example, we have "drug abuse" where they have "drugs 
abuse," etc.

. . .

My personal preferences are listed below (and I confess these are 
difficult choices, because I'm accustomed to seeing both). The bracketed 
comments refer only to the word "admission(s)." I've tried to list what 
I think myself I would write, and indicate the range of what I would 
accept as an editor in the comments:

admission(s) office [leaning sg.]
admission decision(s) [strongly prefer sg.]
admission(s) process [leaning sg.]
admission requirement(s) [strongly prefer sg.]
admission(s) committee(s) [leaning sg.]
admission(s) staff [leaning sg.]
admission professionals [strongly prefer sg.]
director of admissions [leaning pl.]

YMMV

I can't help you with use of the article unless you give me a context --
both "a(n)" and "the" are possible.

--
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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John Dunn
SMLC (Slavonic Studies)
University of Glasgow
Hetheringon Building
Bute Gardens
Glasgow G12 8RS
U.K.

Tel.: +44 (0)141 330 5591
Fax: +44 (0)141 330 2297
e-mail: J.Dunn at slavonic.arts.gla.ac.uk

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