Hours

[jack]

Are these correct? If, not why? What do they mean?

1. Ten hour shifts are really long. (What is the subject and verb?)
2. Ten hours shifts are really long.
3. A ten hours shift is really long. ('a' modifies 'ten hours right? So it should be 'ten hour'?)

 

[Casiopea]

The letters in bold are the reason for the ungrammaticality ; the subject is underlined; the verb is copular 'are':

1. Ten hour shifts are really long.
2. Ten hours shifts are really long.
3. A ten hours shift is really long.

Note, adjectives do not take -s. :wink: (i.e., *hours)