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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > ...an unbelievable thirteen kilograms
...an unbelievable thirteen kilograms
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sulekra
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...an unbelievable thirteen kilograms
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Hi, I got stumped trying to explain why there is an article in this sentence.
-She lost an unbelievable thirteen kilograms.
Everyone was insisting there can �t be an article with a plural. I know it �s correct but I don �t know why:S
a kilogram
thirteen kilograms
thirteen unbelievable kilograms
an unbelievable kilogram
AN unbelievable thirteen kilogramS
Thanks guys:)
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24 Mar 2010
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Mariethe House
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I guess it is correct and it sounds like the " shortcut" to :
I lost ( I wish I had!)an unbelievable (WEIGHT/ Amount ) of 13 kgs!
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24 Mar 2010
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sulekra
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Thanks Mariethe, I hadn �t really considered ellipsis, I think that sounds like a reasonable explanation:)
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24 Mar 2010
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almaz
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Yes, I reckon Mariethe�s got it: the 13 kilograms is a weight.
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24 Mar 2010
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annabelle1654
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I think the answer is in the fact that you have an article + adj followed by a noun, so an "unbelievable" -13 -Kilos, -I �m curious about the answer myself. :) |
24 Mar 2010
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Jayho
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Look at grammar guru Swan �s PEU 532.6
It �s a plural expression of quantity used with an adjective. Other examples include:
She spent a happy ten minutes looking through the photos
He �s been waiting a good two hours |
24 Mar 2010
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yanogator
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Jayho didn �t say it this way, but that �s right. The a/an refers to the thirteen, because it �s the thirteen that is unbelievable.
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25 Mar 2010
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