Choosing the right word

Question

Hello,Which verb would be the best option?We spent/passed a lovely three weeks in Paris.And how to explain the use of 'a' before 'lovely'?My choice is 'passed'.Thanks

KJinCali79 · Accepted Answer

1. We spent three lovely weeks in Paris. -- This would be my first choice, but it's a slighly different meaning/emphasis so it depends on the intent.
2. We spent a lovely three weeks in Paris. -- The use of "a" is emphasizing the three weeks as a unit of time rather than three weeks plural, in order to describe the entire unit, singularly, as lovely. It's a stylistic choice, but also emphasizes that what was lovely was the amount of time spent in Paris (#2). Whereas my first example emphasizes that the weeks spent in Paris were lovely, and there were three such weeks spent there. (#1). This changes the placement of the quantifying adjective. Where "three" in #1 describes lovely weeks; however in #2 "lovely" describes a three-week duration of time.

Passed is not the correct verb for this sentence.

DMW · Answer

Hi Nina_Nia,
I hope you are well, and that everything is good with you. I do really enjoy some of the photos that you post.

In your example, "spent" is definitely much better than "passed".

I wouldn't go so far as to say that "passed" is wrong; it is possible to "pass time", which is what you're doing. But "passed" has a bit of a negative connotation - that you were just waiting for the time to expire, rather than actively enjoying it. It certainly doesn't fit, if you're saying that the time was lovely.

As far as "three lovely weeks" versus "a lovely three weeks" is concerned; the meaning is very similar. The distinction between the two is so fine, that nobody listening to you will ever pick up on it. If you say "three lovely weeks", it implies that each week was individually lovely in some way. You could even say something like "we spent three lovely weeks in Paris - one in February, one in June and one in October." This would be unusual though. However "a lovely three weeks" is connoting the loveliness of the time period as a whole.

Your question was how to explain using "a" in this context. I'm not sure that I have a good answer. The placement of the adjective "lovely" forces the words "three weeks" to act as if they were a single noun. So, in the same way as you might say "a lovely month", you can say "a lovely three weeks". This works because number generally come before other adjectives, whereas you've deliberately broken that structure here.

Note that you can't say "a three lovely weeks", because "three weeks" no longer behaves as a single noun. You also can't use this structure if there's no intervening adjective; that is, you can't say "a three weeks". I have no idea why, sorry.

I hope this is of some help to you.

Best wishes,
David.

Nina_Nia · Answer

Hello,

I always enjoy your replies. Thanks.

Nina

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