Pedroski Posted October 1, 2014 at 11:01 PM Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 at 11:01 PM This only has to do with Chinese, because Chinese students wrote it. Answering a question a lot wrote (or copied): ' a 30 minutes presentation should have about 15 slides' They correctly found the plural of 'minute' to be 'minutes', and there are 30 of them mentioned. Why is it wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymoose Posted October 2, 2014 at 01:45 AM Report Share Posted October 2, 2014 at 01:45 AM Because when a noun is used as an attributive of another noun, much as an adjective is, the attributive noun is usually in the singular, such as "a ten dollar bill" and so on. See Wikipedia: Noun adjunct. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted October 2, 2014 at 09:55 AM Report Share Posted October 2, 2014 at 09:55 AM When you put "a" in front of "30 minutes" you make the two words "30" and "minutes" a singular item. "a 30 minute presentation" is correct. it seems like as well a Chinese grammar book you need to get an English one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedroski Posted October 3, 2014 at 01:37 AM Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 at 01:37 AM "it seems like as well a Chinese grammar book you need to get an English one." The pot speaking to the kettle sweetheart? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted October 3, 2014 at 09:41 AM Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 at 09:41 AM I have no objection to you helping or even criticizing my grammar English or Chinese but please don't call me sweetheart, we are not that well acquainted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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