profits of $20m look achievable

[joham]

I read the sentence ' Profits of $20m look achievable' and wonder why we don't say

A profit of $20m looks achievable. or
The profits of $20m look achievable. or
The profit of $20m looks achievable.

Thank you.

[Buddhaheart]

Articles are sometimes left out in abbreviated style for some reasons peculiar to some writers or organizations. ‘Profits’, the plural form of ‘profit’, means monetary gain as a result of capital employment in a transaction or from a business; returns, proceeds & etc. from property or investments.

The sentence in question is possible. Depending on the intended meanings, some of your other alternatives are also possible.

[Naamplao]

Originally Posted by joham

I read the sentence ' Profits of $20m look achievable' and wonder why we don't say

A profit of $20m looks achievable. or
The profits of $20m look achievable. or
The profit of $20m looks achievable.

Thank you.

"Profits" being plural implies that the $20m comes from several sources or from several additions from one source. It is not the profit from a single event.

So using that logic #1 and #3 are not equivalent to the original sentence. Since the sentence (without additional contex) does not relate to a single source I think omission of the article "the" at the beginning is justified.

[riverkid]

Originally Posted by joham

I read the sentence ' Profits of $20m look achievable' and wonder why we don't say

1. A profit of $20m looks achievable. or
2. The profits of $20m look achievable. or
3. The profit of $20m looks achievable.

Thank you.

Numbers 2 & 3 sound odd to me. Could it simply be that the tendency is to intro with an indefinite article?