JFF: 2 Grammar Questions to Settle an Arguement

These woods is correct and antiques mall is correct ... if it were antique mall then you would be saying the mall was an antique, not the goods sold.

These woods. This wood (with "wood" being synonymous with forest etc.)

For the antique(s) thing, I think it depends on exactly what you're trying to say. "Antique mall" would be usual (like shoe store, drug store, wine shop, etc.) but if you mean "The mall where we go to buy antiques... the antiques mall as apposed to the other mall." maybe you could put the s... maybe.

These and antique, I think!

I second momof1's reasoning on antique. you wouldn't say "books" store either, would you? :-)

Since this is a grammar question your first sentence should read, "My husband and I have gone, not went. Sorry to sound picky but since it is a grammar question you might as well have your verb correct...........

I think it should be 'antique mall'. You would not say 'groceries store' meaning a 'grocery store', or 'cars lot' when talking about a car lot. I vote 'antique mall'.

1. Argument
2. Have gone around and around
3. These woods or the woods
4. Antique mall

Here's how I see it:
1. This woods is appropriate if it is basically one property/wooded area while these woods would be correct if it was several properties together.
2. "Antique mall" would be if the mall was antique. "Antiques mall" would indicate a mall that has antiques in it.

LOL. My husband and I have the same kind of arguements. Fun.

1. It should be "these" woods
2. It should be "antique" mall

For number 1, I think to be grammatically correct, you would need to say "these" because woods is plural. The fact that most people use "woods" as a singular word doesn't change the proper grammar. You can say "wood" OR "woods" to mean a stand of trees (smaller than a forest but larger than a grove)... either way is considered correct... but whichever you use, you must match the verb form. If you opt to use "wood" (instead of "woods") then you would use "this".

As for number 2, is it a "shoes" store, or a "shoe" store? I think the same thing applies for antique mall. Although you could argue (and probably are) that it then becomes a misplaced modifier and makes the mall itself the antique. Which in some cases, might be accurate... lol

ETA: btw, argument is spelled with only one "e". :))))

"These" woods (I have no idea why, but it just sounds right)

and

"antiques" mall. Unless of course the mall is very very old. In which case, the "antique mall is celebrating it's 1000th anniversary."

Camp in this woods would never be correct.

Camp in these woods if you are speaking of a particular place. (while pointing to the wooded area on the map my husband stated, "we camp in these woods.")

Just woods if you are just speaking of the woods in general. We camp in the woods.

Antique mall if the mall itself is really old and antiques mall if it is a mall that sells antiques.

I think part of the confusion with antique vs antiques (people making the comparison between grocery and book stores) is that the word antique can be an adjective or a noun. In the phrase "antique mall" it is an adjective wheres as in "antiques mall" it is a noun. Book, grocery and shoe would never be an adjective.

My opinion is:

#1 - Camp in these woods.

#2 - An Antique mall.

If there are multiple antique shops - I would can state - there are multiple antique shops in this antique mall.

My husband's opinion is:

#1 - Camp in these woods. OR Camp in THIS wood.
#2 - he says this is a trick question as the mall is NOT antique. Correctly put it would be a mall of antique shops.

my husband and i have GONE round.
and 'argument'.
:)
not picking, hon, but since the question is grammar......
woods is one of those mutable nouns. in the sense you're using it here, you should use the plural. the only way 'this woods' would work would be if you were selecting one particular part of the woods, like a single oak grove, out of a larger group.
how's that for a lot of would/woods?
as for number 2, your statement at the end is correct. it would only be an 'antique' mall if the mall itself were old and quaint. a mall full of antiques for sale is an 'antiques mall.'
:) khairete
S.

We camp in THE woods, the woods refers to a place, as in we camp in the desert, the forest, the mountains. Though if you were referring to a body of water I'd use AT, we camp at the lake, at the beach, at the river.
Antique mall sounds better to me, as in shoe store sounds better than shoes store, right?

Woods is plural, therefore you would say "We camp in these woods".

If the mall is really old aka antique, then it is the "antique mall". But if they sell antiques then I would say it is the "antiques mall". This one is not as clear cut as the first though.

I've always said "the woods," never "this" or "these." I really like the comparison of a shoe store, a grocery store and a book store, so I would have to agree that the correct usage is "Antique Mall."

Not to pick, just to clarify, it's

"My husband and I WENT round and round ... "
"My husband and I HAVE GONE round and round ... "

This is one of those errors my husband makes all the time. I have trouble using well/good and lie/lay/lying/laying. The English language sure is complicated :-)

The woods. Woods in this sense is speaking of plural trees hence the s but it is one forest or woods so is singular.

Wow just realized no one agrees on the woods. You camp in the woods, if you are there these woods, speaking of those woods. O well.

Antique mall because it is singular is well, you are speaking of the mall not how many antiques may be held in it. Saying antiques mall would be the same as saying cars dealership. The number of antiques is irrelevant because you are speaking of the vessel that holds the antiques, the mall. Antiques is not part of the noun it is the adjective that describes the noun. It is an antique mall, not a shopping mall, not a strip mall.....

I hate grammar!

I'm pretty sure it's:
camp in this wood and camp in these woods

mall orginially meant and still means a covered parkway or walkway so I think technicially neither is correct unless the mall is an antique. But I think it is:
antiques mall -- for this reason

wether its right or wrong... we say "these" woods around here..

as for #2 I have never heard of an "antiques" mall...

My ears and eyes are hurting just from the title and question!

Interesting question!

I found this: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/26300/in-winni...

And Robert Frost wrote: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood".

My answer would be: "camp in this wood" or "camp in these woods", but never "camp in this woods".

And "antique mall" would mean the mall is historic and very old, while "antiques mall" would mean a mall where numerous antiques are sold.

2) It would be easy to figure out if the name of the store is actually "The Antique Mall".

If this is the kind of arguments my Hubby and I had, it would be more fun... than the same ol' spats.

LOL

1. B
2. A

I don't know about the correct plural. I've always said it the way I stated.

1) is quirky. Woods can be singular OR plural. Depends in your usage.

2) again, a plural v singular issue. Depends on your usage.