word choice - "Forty foot" or "forty feet"?





Pluralization rule for “five-year-old children”, “20 pound note”, “10 mile run”



Is it correct to say



"This is a forty foot drop"



or



"That is a forty foot telescope"



Shouldn't it be "forty feet"?


And what if it is



"This is a thirty nine foot drop"



instead?


Are both correct? Does it depend on the context? How does it work?



Answer



The forty-foot drop is correct.


Compare this:



1) He's a 10-year old.


2) He's 10 years old.



In the first example, a 10-year old stands as a noun (notice the article preceding it). In the second example, it's not a noun, therefore no article.


Therefore:



1) It's a 40-foot drop.


2) This drop is 40 feet in height.



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