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Thread: 40 year old

  1. #1
    sh.hazeri is offline Junior Member
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    Question 40 year old

    There is movie named "40 year old virgin"
    just wondering why it is not "40 yearS old virgin" ?
    -------------
    do not we say "yearS", when somebody ask us "how old are you?" and we answer ie : 36 yearS old ?

  2. #2
    Rover_KE is offline VIP Member
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    Default Re: 40 year old

    This film is more correctly spelt The 40-Year-Old Virgin (the capitals are used because it's a title).

    We say 'I'm 40 years old' or 'I'm a 40-year-old man'.

    Rover

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    Atchan is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: 40 year old

    Quote Originally Posted by Rover_KE View Post
    This film is more correctly spelt The 40-Year-Old Virgin (the capitals are used because it's a title).

    We say 'I'm 40 years old' or 'I'm a 40-year-old man'.

    Rover
    But writing 'year' without an 's' and 'a' in these sentences be wrong?
    1) I'm a 40 year old
    2) I'm 40 year old.
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    Rover_KE is offline VIP Member
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    Default Re: 40 year old

    Quote Originally Posted by atchan View Post
    But writing 'year' without an 's' and 'a' in these sentences be wrong?
    1) I'm a 40 year old
    2) I'm 40 year old.
    1) You could say 'I'm a 40-year-old (man)', but you'd need the hyphens.
    2) 'I'm 40 years old.'

    Rover
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  5. #5
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    Default Re: 40 year old

    When used with numbers, the measurements are in the singular before the noun.

    A three-mile walk. A walk of three miles.
    A 10-meter diving board. A diving board of 10 meters.
    A two-week vacation. A vacation of two weeks.
    sh.hazeri likes this.
    I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.

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