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English Grammar


Giving an age

Jacques Laravoire
User since 2011
Posts: 1

8 Jan. 2011

I believed that one should say


He is 75 year old


and not


He is 75 years old


Was I wrong?

7 comments

  • User since 2006
    Posts: 2715

    8 Jan. 2011

    As for me, Jacques, I think you could drop the s of the plural as long as you consider 75-year as an adjective. In such case you should link '75' to 'year' with a hyphen.


    As he is 75 years old we could say that he is a 75-year man, or that he is a 75-year old man as well.


    Am I right or wrong?
  • User since 2009
    Posts: 613

    15 June 2011

    "Am I right or wrong?" :| By Joe the screwball


    Is he right or wrong ? he doesn't know :( . He's got no answer to this Shakespearian question since January. How can he live without any response to this crucial request about his inner personality? You've got it : that's the reason why we don't see much from him in the forum.
  • User since 2008
    Posts: 499

    17 June 2011

    Joe is right. I think he just doesn't have the temerity to claim he is always right. I consider this as a likeable, modest trait. (my personal opinion)


    But the topic of giving an age:
    For example, there was this American comedy [i]'The 40-year-old virgin'[/i]. [i]'X-year-old'[/i] is here an adjective, and 'year' has to be in singular. I've looked up another example on BBC news:


    [i][..]A motorcyclist killed in a crash with a refuse vehicle in the Isle of Man was a [b]40-year-old man[/b] from Liverpool, police say.[..][/i]


    Or, another example, is the famous line from the Coens 'The Big Lebowski': [b]"Eight-year-olds, Dude!"[/b]


    On the other side, when the age statement is not an adjective, it's correct to use the plural:
    [b]'He is 40 years old.'[/b]


    An example from a BBC blog which shows the evidence:
    [i][..]BBC Radio Manchester is 40 years old today[..][/i]
  • User since 2008
    Posts: 499

    17 June 2011

    From Sophie Moa:
    "Am I right or wrong?" :| By Joe the screwball


    Is he right or wrong ? he doesn't know :( . He's got no answer to this Shakespearian question since January. How can he live without any response to this crucial request about his inner personality? You've got it : that's the reason why we don't see much from him in the forum.

     


    Sophie again, attending a mask ball, with a mask that
    changes her age (or even changes her gender, I don't know. Oh, that's unfair!!


    Reading confederacys of dunces,always on the brink to play morale police and giving ironic comments and provoking other people. Playing morale police is always easier for here than giving helpful comments.
    Helping me out in one case, but suddenly changing sides and biting like a treacherous, venom snake.
  • User since 2008
    Posts: 499

    17 June 2011

    'I got wise to you'
  • User since 2009
    Posts: 613

    18 June 2011

    Congratulations, Whacky, :(, you've got it. I am a pure fiction fallen from my wheel, my mask is broken....farewell...;)
  • User since 2011
    Posts: 1

    9 July 2011

    i try to find a parrain to begin with gymglish,please take my emails like that i can learn less expensive;
    jeromelaciotat@yahoo.fr
    thank you.

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