grammatical number - "I worked in a chemists" vs "I worked in a chemist's" vs "I worked in a chemist"?





Store names & possessive



What is the correct grammar for saying that I worked for a chemists (that is, a shop that sells medicine)?


Is it



I worked in a chemist



or



I worked in a chemists



or perhaps



I worked in a chemist's



?


Had I been working for multiple different chemists, would it be correct to say



I worked for chemists during my first two years of university




Answer




I worked in a chemist



Er, no: that would be rather uncomfortable for both of you!



I worked in a chemists



Chemists is a plural noun, so a chemists can't be correct.



I worked in a chemist's



This is an example of ellipsis: "I worked in a chemist's [shop]". Using the possessive is entirely correct.



I worked for chemists during my first two years of university.



This is correct: chemists is a plural noun, indicating that you had more than one employer/mentor.


Store names & possessive deals with people's names, not shop types.


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