0
Petusek Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Giving dimensions
Hello,
I wonder if the following way of giving dimensions is common and natural in English:
"...159 x 81 x 59 mm..."
What typically collocates with such expressions?
(a) "XYZ measures 159 x 81 x 59 mm"
(b) "XYZ dimensions are 159 x 81 x 59 mm"
(c) "XYZ size is 159 x 81 x 59 mm"
(d) ???
Thank you for any suggestions in advance!
Best,
P.
P.S.: By the way, could the size of a device of the above dimensions be called "compact"?
I wonder if the following way of giving dimensions is common and natural in English:
"...159 x 81 x 59 mm..."
What typically collocates with such expressions?
(a) "XYZ measures 159 x 81 x 59 mm"
(b) "XYZ dimensions are 159 x 81 x 59 mm"
(c) "XYZ size is 159 x 81 x 59 mm"
(d) ???
Thank you for any suggestions in advance!
Best,
P.
P.S.: By the way, could the size of a device of the above dimensions be called "compact"?
Top answer
Yes, 159 x 81 x 59 mm is the usual way to give dimensions. This is spoken as "159 by 81 by 59 millimetres". You can repeat mm after the first two numbers but that is implied.
- Yes, 159 x 81 x 59 mm is the usual way to give dimensions.
- This is spoken as "159 by 81 by 59 millimetres".
- You can repeat mm after the first two numbers but that is implied.
- Phrases (a), (b) and (c) are all valid; (b) is probably best.
- Edit: See CalifJim's post (after this one); he's right with corrections to (b) and (c), and a good suggestion.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
Yes, 159 x 81 x 59 mm is the usual way to give dimensions. This is spoken as "159 by 81 by 59 millimetres".
You can repeat mm after the first two numbers but that is implied.
Phrases (a), (b) and (c) are all valid; (b) is probably best.
Edit: See CalifJim's post (after this one); he's right with corrections to (b) and (c), and a good suggestion.
Whether
You can repeat mm after the first two numbers but that is implied.
Phrases (a), (b) and (c) are all valid; (b) is probably best.
Edit: See CalifJim's post (after this one); he's right with corrections to (b) and (c), and a good suggestion.
Whether
00
petusekBy the way, could the size of a device of the above dimensions be called "compact"?
00
0
It's fine to describe something as compact, as long as that's not a lie!
Compact implies "making efficient use of space", which is a strong positive attribute. For a piece of engineering like a data logger, compact is appropriate if the product is more compact (i.e. has a higher features-to-cubic-centimetre ratio, I guess) than competing or previous models.
Compact implies "making efficient use of space", which is a strong positive attribute. For a piece of engineering like a data logger, compact is appropriate if the product is more compact (i.e. has a higher features-to-cubic-centimetre ratio, I guess) than competing or previous models.
0
Related Questions