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Old or Olds?
Message de matrix_hamdi posté le 18-08-2011 à 00:03:11 (S | E | F)
Hello everybody!
I hope everything is going well.
Well, a couple of days ago, and while I was reading a novel entitled: 'The Guardian's Forbidden Mistress' by Miranda Lee, I found this sentence: 'Teenage girls were prone to fights of fantasy, as were twenty-four-year-olds, she thought ruefully'
Now,I really wonder if it's possible to add an "S" to the word "old" and why?
For example is it possible to say: James and Peter are twenty-three-year-olds. Or they are twenty-three-year-olds.
Thanks in advance.
Please accept my best wishes and kind regards.
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Modifié par lucile83 le 18-08-2011 08:28Mise en forme standard
Message de matrix_hamdi posté le 18-08-2011 à 00:03:11 (S | E | F)
Hello everybody!
I hope everything is going well.
Well, a couple of days ago, and while I was reading a novel entitled: 'The Guardian's Forbidden Mistress' by Miranda Lee, I found this sentence: 'Teenage girls were prone to fights of fantasy, as were twenty-four-year-olds, she thought ruefully'
Now,I really wonder if it's possible to add an "S" to the word "old" and why?
For example is it possible to say: James and Peter are twenty-three-year-olds. Or they are twenty-three-year-olds.
Thanks in advance.
Please accept my best wishes and kind regards.
-------------------
Modifié par lucile83 le 18-08-2011 08:28Mise en forme standard
Réponse: Old or Olds? de notrepere, postée le 18-08-2011 à 00:39:36 (S | E)
HelloYes, it is correct. However, the expression is "flights of fantasy" or "flights of fancy".
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How old is he?
He is 23 years old.
He is a twenty-three-year-old. (singular subject)
They are twenty-three-year-olds. (plural subject)
Réponse: Old or Olds? de gerondif, postée le 18-08-2011 à 00:46:46 (S | E)
Hello,
"old" here is considered as a noun, and turned into plural.
If you speak in general, the adjective can become a noun but will remain singular although the meaning is plural:
The young often despise the old.
But in your example, it is a particular category, so the plural makes sense, "the teenage girls" is on the same level as" the twenty-four-year-old teenagers" and it becomes "the twenty-four year olds".
Réponse: Old or Olds? de matrix_hamdi, postée le 18-08-2011 à 01:00:36 (S | E)
Hi notrepere,
Many thanks for your answer and your delightful explanation!
Well, the expression is "Flights of fantasy" and not " flights of fancy".
I typed "Fights" instead of 'flights'
Thank you again.
Réponse: Old or Olds? de matrix_hamdi, postée le 18-08-2011 à 01:08:11 (S | E)
Hello gerondif,
Thank you so much for your help I really appreciate it.
Best regards.
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