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MustAsk Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Hefty/ whopping

Hi

How come it's "a whopping/ hefty 12 million dollars" ?

Since when have "12 million dollars" become singular? Where's the logic?

Thanks!
  

Top answer

when we think of amounts of money, we treat the amount as singular. Twelve million dollars is a lot of money. I paid a whopping (sum of) $12,00,000

— Fivejedjon

  • when we think of amounts of money, we treat the amount as singular.
  • Twelve million dollars is a lot of money.
  • I paid a whopping (sum of) $12,00,000
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5 Answers
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when we think of amounts of money, we treat the amount as singular.

Twelve million dollars is a lot of money.

I paid a whopping (sum of) $12,00,000
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Thank you for you reply, so these are also correct then?

1.Twelve million dollars is missing from the bank.

2. I've heard something bad happened today.
Yes, a bank has been robbed. They say, twelve million has been stolen.

3. Ok, I've got a spare 20 minutes. And that 20 minutes is very important, so don't waste my time.
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#1 an #3 are fine. Drop the comma in #2.
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Ok, now I'm very confused and it just raises even more questions. What about the word 'few' ?

That few minutes we've got is very important.

Then I also have posted a thread the other day in which I've gotten a response that " There are five minutes left in the day" is the correct way to say. Isn't it 'is five minutes' Huh???

And lastly:
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MustAskThat few minutes we've got is very important.
That (period of time of) five minutes we've got is very important.
MustAskThere are five minutes left in the day
The speaker is thinking of five individual minutes. 'There's five minutes left' would be OK.
MustAsk Thirty five pe
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