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A "stable" is the compartment where an individual horse is housed.

A "stables" is the building which contains multiple stables/horses.

So the stables is a singular building, but the word "stables" is clearly plural, not singular...

Example sentence:

"Where else would you buy a horse other than a stables?" she said.

Is this sentence grammatically correct? If not, how would you correct it?

Dasmowenator
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3 Answers3

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This excellent, well-researched article suggests ‘stall’ for individual units of housing and ‘stable’ for the whole building(s). I would use it like that.

Stable is a singular word which has been used above instead of stall. In fact a stall is the individual compartment of housing. A stable is the whole building.

Stables is a plural word referring to more than one building. In grammar, the determiner “a/an” always refers to the singular, so stables simple doesn’t work with ‘a’.

Hence there are three stables in Hindhead. The biggest stable has 46 stalls available for livery in five recently renovated stables on a plot of 4.6 acres which offers great riding opportunities.

I hope that helps.

Martin Hansell
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  • I like this answer. I don't know if it's necessarily technically 100% correct, but I think if you use these terms consistently like this in your writing, it can make your intent clear to your reader. – Dasmowenator Jun 09 '23 at 06:10
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    According to Oxford Learner's Dictionary, stables to mean a single establishment or building is a British usage. – Kate Bunting Jun 09 '23 at 07:40
  • Macmillan (which is British) suggests "stables" (taking either a singular or plural verb) for a business that trains and races horses, and "stable" for the building or for the metaphorical sense (a group of companies, publications, performers, etc). Not sure this is 100% accurate. – Stuart F Jun 09 '23 at 08:32
  • COCA has several examples of "a stables": e.g.: "Their dates were simple: walks in the park, petting horses at a stables near her Silver Spring apartment, takeout Thai dinners and occasional splurges on extravagant chocolate desserts at the Willard Hotel". While Merriam Webster only lists the noun stable, it has examples which use singular stables, for example: "For drinks, simply wander back to the former stables where Public House Bar now serves cocktails." – Araucaria - Him Jun 09 '23 at 09:28
  • There's possibly also the influence of forms ending in "s" like "a butcher's", "a vet's", for shops and businesses, at least when it comes to the commercial premises that looks after horses. (And no shortage of singular nouns like "premises".) – Stuart F Jun 09 '23 at 10:56
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The regular noun, singular, for stables is a Stable. I hope you can use it without riling the occupants.

Elliot
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Collins licenses 'a stables' as well as 'a stable':

stable ...

[6] [count] A stable or stables is a building in which horses are kept.

Obviously the single-form variant will pluralise in the usual way, taking a plural verb form:

  • The stable is behind the house.
  • The stables are often found behind the owners' houses.

The plural-form singular (taking a singular verb form) has an invariant plural (taking a plural verb form):

  • The stables is behind the house.
  • The stables are often found behind the owners' houses.

That said, many might prefer the more usual sounding correspondence to reflect in the agreement used. Most dictionaries do not include the plural-form singular.

Edwin Ashworth
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