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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Re: Question
Hi Guys,
Could you please clarify why I use "s" in one example and not in the other?
"I'm 26 years old"
"He has a 3 year old baby"
Why is it "years" in the 1st example and "year" in the 2nd?
Many thanks for any help,
Jackie
Could you please clarify why I use "s" in one example and not in the other?
"I'm 26 years old"
"He has a 3 year old baby"
Why is it "years" in the 1st example and "year" in the 2nd?
Many thanks for any help,
Jackie
Top answer
It's just idiomatic to say it like that. Logic has probably nothing to do with that.
- It's just idiomatic to say it like that.
- Logic has probably nothing to do with that.
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2 Answers
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It's just idiomatic to say it like that. Logic has probably nothing to do with that.
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Plural nouns tend not to be used attributively. For example:
"He makes instruments" -> "He's an instrument maker"
"I'm enthusiastic about cars" -> "I'm a car enthusiast"
Although your example is structurally different, there seems to be a similar underlying principle there somewhere.
"He makes instruments" -> "He's an instrument maker"
"I'm enthusiastic about cars" -> "I'm a car enthusiast"
Although your example is structurally different, there seems to be a similar underlying principle there somewhere.
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