When scheduling your annual health check, you might pause and wonder: is it a “doctor’s appointment” or a “doctor appointment”? While both phrases might sound correct, most native English speakers instinctively opt for “doctor’s appointment.” But is there a grammatical reason for this preference, or is it simply a matter of linguistic habit? Let’s delve into the subtle yet fascinating nuances of English grammar to understand why both forms exist, and why one reigns supreme in common usage when discussing Doctor Appointments.
Whose Appointment Is It Anyway?
The apostrophe-s (‘s) in English typically signals possession, much like in “the patient’s chart.” While alternative ways to indicate possession exist, such as “the chart of the patient,” the ‘s possessive is the most frequently used.
However, the function of ‘s extends beyond simple ownership. Though debated by some, ‘s can also denote plurality in specific contexts, as seen in phrases like “mind your p’s and q’s.” It also serves as a contraction for “us” in “let’s” and “is” in words like “it’s” or “she’s.”
Consider the phrase “the doctor’s advice.” Here, the ‘s might initially appear possessive. Yet, the advice isn’t owned by the doctor in a tangible sense, but rather originates from the doctor. In this context, the ‘s marks what grammarians call the genitive case, specifically the genitive of origin, indicating source rather than strict possession. This distinction becomes crucial when understanding “doctor’s appointment.”
Decoding the Genitive Case
The term “genitive case” might sound like arcane grammar jargon, but it’s a fundamental concept in understanding how nouns relate to each other. Essentially, the genitive case, often referred to as the possessive case in modern English, highlights association, control, or origin, beyond mere ownership.
The interchangeable use of “genitive” and “possessive” is largely due to influential grammarians who favored “possessive case” as a more straightforward term. While convenient, “possessive” can sometimes obscure the broader relational functions of the genitive. “Genitive case” better encompasses the nuances of association and origin, which are key to understanding phrases like “doctor’s appointment.”
Within the genitive case, we find categories like the “genitive of origin,” as exemplified by “the doctor’s advice.” Another relevant category is the “descriptive genitive.” Grammar experts Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman from the Grammarphobia blog aptly use this term to analyze “doctor’s appointment.” They explain the difference between “doctor’s appointment” and “doctor appointment” by highlighting the grammatical function of “doctor” in each phrase:
In the phrase “doctor’s appointment,” the noun “doctor” is being used genitively to describe the type of appointment, while in “doctor appointment,” the noun is being used attributively (that is, adjectivally) to do the same thing.
The term “doctor’s” in the first example is often called a “descriptive genitive,” and “doctor” in the second an “attributive noun,” a “noun adjunct,” or a “noun premodifier.”
There aren’t any hard-and-fast rules for whether to use a noun genitively or attributively as a modifier before another noun. However, some usages are more idiomatic (that is, natural to a native speaker) than others.
Their analysis confirms that both “doctor’s appointment” and “doctor appointment” are grammatically sound. “Doctor’s appointment” employs the descriptive genitive, where “doctor’s” acts to describe the type of appointment. Conversely, “doctor appointment” uses “doctor” as an attributive noun, functioning like an adjective to modify “appointment.”
The preference for “doctor’s appointment” over “doctor appointment,” which became evident in the latter half of the 20th century when such phrases gained common usage, appears to be largely driven by convention. While both are grammatically defensible, linguistic norms have simply favored the genitive form for doctor appointments.
Conclusion: Convention Rules in Language
In the realm of English grammar, the case of “doctor’s appointment” versus “doctor appointment” illustrates the dynamic interplay between grammatical rules and established usage. While grammar allows for both forms to be correct, the subtle nuance of the descriptive genitive in “doctor’s appointment” and the weight of linguistic convention have cemented its place as the more common and natural choice for English speakers. Ultimately, language is shaped as much by grammatical logic as it is by the evolving habits of its speakers, making phrases like “doctor’s appointment” fascinating examples of how convention shapes our everyday communication about things like scheduling doctor appointments.
