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8-year-old kid

 
 
milimi
 
Reply Fri 25 Dec, 2015 05:36 am
Hello,

On a site, I saw "8-year-old kid" written with "year" without
an "s".
Using kid and not child, I think the site must be american.
In this case, is it correct to write "year" without an "s" or is it
only American English?
I wish you a merry Christmas.
Thank you.
Serge
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FBM
 
  2  
Reply Fri 25 Dec, 2015 05:43 am
@milimi,
At least in American English, it's written without the "s."
Tes yeux noirs
 
  2  
Reply Fri 25 Dec, 2015 06:12 am
In all varieties of English, American or otherwise, there are two ways of using two nouns to talk about time, distance and other forms of measurement:

Before the noun, using a hyphen to join the number and unit together: a ten-mile walk; a five-ton weight; a six-hour wait. In this form the singular form of the measurement noun (e.g. mile, ton, hour) is used. In the case of age, then a further hyphen joins the unit to the word 'old' - a fve-year-old child; a ten-month-old baby; a sixty-year-old book, a hundred-year-old egg.

After the noun, using no hyphens: he is six years old; the truck weighs ten tons; the rope is four metres long. In this form the plural form of the measurement (years, tons, metres) is used.

Thus "8-year-old kid" is correct in any variety of English. 'Kid' is an informal alternative to 'child' in most varieties of English, not just the US variety.

Tes yeux noirs
 
  2  
Reply Fri 25 Dec, 2015 10:26 am
Some more hyphenated examples

a hundred-metre race
a 250-page book
a fifty-year project
a three-inch-high statuette
a five-metre-long boat


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milimi
 
  1  
Reply Fri 25 Dec, 2015 10:48 am
@FBM,
Thank you for your help.
Serge
0 Replies
 
milimi
 
  1  
Reply Fri 25 Dec, 2015 10:49 am
@Tes yeux noirs,
Thank you for your detailed answer.
Serge
0 Replies
 
 

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