I’m two meters (tall).

[diamondcutter]

1.
Jack: How long was your trip to the mountains?
Bob: _______
A.Three hours.
B.It was three hours.
C.It was three hours long.

2.
Jack: How tall are you?
Bob: _______
A.Two meters.
B.I’m two meters.
C.I’m two meters tall.

3.
Jack: How old are you?
Bob:_______
A.I’m 20.
B.I’m 20 years.
C.I’m 20 years old.

(all by me)

For the three situations above, I wonder if none of the second replies is correct.

 

[Rover_KE]

The B answers are wrong; the C answers are correct, but unnecessarily wordy.

3A is OK, but most of us would say '20'.

 

[Skrej]

I don't have a problem with 1B or 2B, although I agree 3B doesn't work.

 

[diamondcutter]

I don't have a problem with 1B or 2B, although I agree 3B doesn't work.

Maybe that's a difference between AE and BE?

 

[GoesStation]

Maybe that's a difference between AE and BE?

This American wouldn't use 1B or 2B. They look wrong to me.

 

[emsr2d2]

I always have trouble with the height questions! I still use feet and inches so although I know that "I'm five foot five" and "I'm five five" are fine in BrE, I have no idea whether "I'm one sixty-five" works instead of "I'm one meter sixty-five".

 

[SoothingDave]

I'm not familiar with metric use, of course. But it seems using feet/inches you can get away with just saying the numbers unless it's an even number of feet. Saying "I'm five-ten" sounds normal. Saying "I'm six" doesn't work unless you say "six feet/foot."

 

[jutfrank]

We all agree that 3B is wrong but there is some disagreement over the correctness of 1B and 2B.

I think they're fine. They are definitely natural, at least. Whether they should be taught is perhaps a different question. I probably wouldn't.

 

[GoesStation]

Saying "I'm six" doesn't work unless you say "six feet/foot."

Unless they significantly devalue the foot, I'll never have the opportunity to say that. But I still wouldn't. It sounds incomplete to me.

 

[Tarheel]

Unless they significantly devalue the foot, I'll never have the opportunity to say that. But I still wouldn't. It sounds incomplete to me.

Goes, are you saying you're short?
;-)

(I would say I'm six feet tall and have done so numerous times.)

 

[GoesStation]

(I would say I'm six feet tall and have done so numerous times.)

That works fine. It's only "I'm six feet" that sounds wrong to me.