Delay / late

Question

Hello again,This is my judgement1. I got fired because I was two hour's delay.  Incorrect2. I got fired because I was two hours delay.  Incorrect3. I got fired because I was two-hour late. correct 4. I got fired because I was two hours' late. correct 5. I got fired because  I was two hours late. correct6. I got fired because of my two-hour delay. correct but not idiomatic7. I got fired because of my two hours' delay. correct but not idiomatic.8. I got fired because of the two-hour delay. correct9. I got fired because of the two hours' delay. correct 10. I got fired because I delayed the whole project for two hours. correct11. I got fired because I caused a two-hour delay in the delivery. correct12. I got fired because I was an hour's late. correct13. I got fired because I was one-hour late. correct

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

1. I got fired because I was two hour's delay. Incorrect
2. I got fired because I was two hours delay. Incorrect
3. I got fired because I was two-hour late. Incorrect
4. I got fired because I was two hours' late. Incorrect
5. I got fired because I was two hours late. correct
6. I got fired because of my two-hour delay. correct ~~but not idiomatic~~
7. I got fired because of my two hours' delay. correct but not idiomatic.
8. I got fired because of the two-hour delay. correct
9. I got fired because of the two hours' delay. correct, but not idiomatic.
10. I got fired because I delayed the whole project for two hours. correct
11. I got fired because I caused a two-hour delay in the delivery. correct
12. I got fired because I was an hour's late. Incorrect
13. I got fired because I was one-hour late. incorrect (no hyphen)

Sb70012 · Answer

Thank you so much for your patience. What about now? Would you please be kind enough to have look at my last judgement?

1. I got fired because of my two-hour delay.
2. I got fired because of my two hours' delay.
3. I got fired because I was two hours late.
4. I got fired because I was two hour's delay. ==incorrect (It's not ok to use was with delay.)
5. I got fired because I was two hours delay. ==incorrect (It's not ok to use was with delay.)
6. I got fired because I was two-hour late. ==incorrect (Two-hour is usually used with delay)
7. I got fired because I was two hours' late. ==incorrect (apostrophe ' is usually used with the noun delay)
8. I got fired because I was an hour's late. ==incorrect (apostrophe ' is usually used with the noun delay)
9. I got fired because I was one-hour late. ==incorrect (one-hour is usually used with delay)
10. I got fired because I was an hour late.
11. I got fired because I delayed the whole project for two hours.
12. I got fired because I caused a two-hour delay in the delivery.
13. I got fired because of an hour's delay.
14. I got fired because of two-hour's delay. ==incorrect (Two-hours' is always incorrect with the hyphen)

And what's the difference between these two?

I got fired because I was one hour late.
I got fired because I was an hour late.

Are both acceptable?

Thank you so much.

Clive · Answer

I hope you realize that the words 'delayed' and 'late' are used differently.

eg I was late for work because my alarm clock did not ring. There is no delay here.

eg I was delayed because of an accident on the road.

Sb70012 · Answer

Thank you so much for your helpful answers. What about these ones:
These are so tricky to me. Would you please be kind enough to have look at them and tell me which one is incorrect?
Thank you.

17. I got fired because of an hour's delay.
18. I got fired because of an-hour delay.
19. I got fired because of one-hour's delay.
20. I got fired because of one hour delay.

In my opinion all of them are correct. Aren't they?

Many thanks

Fivejedjon · Answer

Only the first is correct.

Clive · Answer

17. I got fired because of an hour's delay. OK
18. I got fired because of an-hour delay. Don't use a hyphen between an article and an adjective.
19. I got fired because of one-hour's delay. 'One-hour ' is an adjective. Don't use an apostrophe S with an adjective.
20. I got fired because of one hour delay. Say 'one hour's delay'.

It's pretty common to be fired because you are late. It's unusual to be fired because of a delay, and would involve some special context.
I don't think you understand the difference between 'late' and 'delay'.

Clive

AlpheccaStars · Answer

CliveI don't think you understand the difference between 'late' and 'delay'.

Here are sentences that use both "late" and "delay".

I was an hour late today because I was delayed by an accident on the main road.
The plane did not arrive late even though there was a one-hour delay taking off. Luckily, there was a tail wind and the pilot could make up the time en route.

Fivejedjon · Answer

Some of this you probably know already, sb, from the responses you have received in the other forum you asked these questions in.

Sb70012 · Answer

Fivejedjed, yes but I have not fully understood it. I have understood it almost %85.
By this question I think I will completely understand their usage.:

1. I got fired because of my/the/a two-hour delay.
2. I got fired because of my/the/a two hours' delay.
3. I got fired because I was two hours late.
4. I got fired because I was two hour's delay. ==incorrect (It's not ok to use I was with delay.)
5. I got fired because I was two hours delay. ==incorrect (It's not ok to use I was with delay.)
6. I got fired because I was two-hour late. ==incorrect (Two-hour is usually used with delay)
7. I got fired because I was two hours' late. ==incorrect (apostrophe ' is usually used with the noun delay)
8. I got fired because I was an hour's late. ==incorrect (apostrophe ' is usually used with the noun delay)
9. I got fired because I was one-hour late. ==incorrect (one-hour is usually used with delay)
10. I got fired because I was an hour late.
11. I got fired because I delayed the whole project for two hours.
12. I got fired because I caused a two-hour delay in the delivery.
13. I got fired because of an hour's delay.
14. I got fired because of two-hour's delay. ==incorrect (Two-hours' is always incorrect with the hyphen)
15. I got fired because I was one hour late.
16. I got fired because I was an hour late.
17. I got fired because of an hour's delay.
18. I got fired because of an-hour delay. ==incorrect ("an-hour" is never used. we never join an article to a noun. You could say "because of a one-hour delay.")
19. I got fired because of a one hour delay.
20. I got fired because of a one-hour delay.
21. I got fired because of one-hour's delay. ==incorrect (one-hour's is always incorrect with the hyphen)
22. I got fired because of one hour delay. ==incorrect (we need an article è "a/the/my one-hour delay")
23. I got fired because of a one hour delay.
24. I got fired because of one hour's delay.

Number 24 may be my last question or confusion.
We have not pointed to [one hour's delay]
I know that [one-hour's delay] is incorrect but what about [one hour's delay]? I mean without a hyphen?

Thank you

Clive · Answer

Instead of us commenting on endless examples and explaining details about the use of hyphens, let's focus on your overall understanding.
Consider these two examples.

I got fired because I was late. This is an ordinary and common statement that needs little or no further explanation.

I got fired because of an hour's delay. To make sense of this, the listener will ask for further explanation.
eg What sort of delay?
eg Why did your boss fire you for a delay?

How would you answer these questions?

Clive

Delay / late

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