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Aamrou Omar Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Measurements

Which is correct?
a) I used 10 foot of copper; or
b) I used 10 feet of copper.
Thank you in advance.
  

Top answer

" "He's at least 6 foot tall. " Let me explain: A red car - the car is red a big red car - the car is big and the car is red 15 foot high fence:(without the hyphen) would mean, the fence is 15 and the fence is foot. No!

— Terryxpress

  • " "He's at least 6 foot tall.
  • " Let me explain: A red car - the car is red a big red car - the car is big and the car is red 15 foot high fence:(without the hyphen) would mean, the fence is 15 and the fence is foot.
  • No!
  • 15-foot is a single adjective telling us about the fence, and this is indicated by the use of the hyphen.
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3 Answers
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When we are not referring to an actual foot, the body part, then 'foot' or 'feet' can be used - it is more common to use 'foot'

So - "I used 10 foot of copper wire."
"He's at least 6 foot tall.

Note, though, that when 'X foot' is used as an adjective, qualifying a noun, it is hyphenated:

"We came to a 15-foot high fence, and there was no way we could climb over."
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In the U.S. we would say:

He used ten feet of copper

or

He used a ten-foot length of copper
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As I say, they are interchangeable, except in the hyphenated form:
It is a 10-foot length of..., NOT a 10-feet length of...
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