0
Exodejavu Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
"a two hour drive" or "a two hour's drive"
Hello,
a. It is a two hour drive from [Place A] to [Place B].
b. It is a two hour's drive from [Place A] to [Place B].
c. It is a two-hour drive from [Place A] to [Place B].
Which is/are correct use?
I believe that (c) is of course right.
According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE), in the entry of "drive," (a) is used. I believe that (a) is right as well.
However, why is the hyphen in the compound adjective dropped sometimes.
With the hyphen dropped, it seems no longer compound and adjectival.
In LDOCE, in the entry of drive, "" is given as a phrase.
I wonder whether 's is used after hour only when the number is one/an?
Regards
a. It is a two hour drive from [Place A] to [Place B].
b. It is a two hour's drive from [Place A] to [Place B].
c. It is a two-hour drive from [Place A] to [Place B].
Which is/are correct use?
I believe that (c) is of course right.
According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE), in the entry of "drive," (a) is used. I believe that (a) is right as well.
However, why is the hyphen in the compound adjective dropped sometimes.
With the hyphen dropped, it seems no longer compound and adjectival.
In LDOCE, in the entry of drive, "" is given as a phrase.
I wonder whether 's is used after hour only when the number is one/an?
Regards
Top answer
The hyphen or lack of same is of no consequence in A and C. The hyphen is required if confusion ensues without it. I would be more interested in seeing a hyphen in B to avoid the perceived paradox of 'a two'.
- The hyphen or lack of same is of no consequence in A and C.
- The hyphen is required if confusion ensues without it.
- I would be more interested in seeing a hyphen in B to avoid the perceived paradox of 'a two'.
- The possessive is possible with plural units, I think.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
3 Answers
0
.
The hyphen or lack of same is of no consequence in A and C. The hyphen is required if confusion ensues without it. I would be more interested in seeing a hyphen in B to avoid the perceived paradox of 'a two'. The possessive is possible with plural units, I think.
.
The hyphen or lack of same is of no consequence in A and C. The hyphen is required if confusion ensues without it. I would be more interested in seeing a hyphen in B to avoid the perceived paradox of 'a two'. The possessive is possible with plural units, I think.
.
00
exodejavua. It is a two hour drive from [Place A] to [Place B].C. is the best alternative. A. is fine with me but some may object to the lack of a hyphen. As Mr M has said, the sentence is intelligible without a hyp
b. It is a two hour's drive from [Place A] to [Place B].
c. It is a two-hour drive from [Place A] to [Place B].
00
Related Questions