Hour or hours/help

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Hour or hours/help
Message from margarita89 posted on 17-09-2013 at 01:01:29 (D | E | F)
Hello,

Is it right to say 24 hour service?, isn't it necessary to use the plural in hours?
Thank you for your help.

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Edited by lucile83 on 17-09-2013 07:22

Re: Hour or hours/help from sherry48, posted on 17-09-2013 at 03:02:03 (D | E)
Hello.
There are two year old cars and cars that are two years old.
A business can be open 24 hours a day and it may offer 24 hour service.
Can you tell why the plural form is used in one case, but not in the other?
Sherry

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Edited by sherry48 on 17-09-2013 19:26
Hello again. Yes, notrepere is correct, it is best to use hyphens. I was half asleep when I posted that and missed it.

Re: Hour or hours/help from notrepere, posted on 17-09-2013 at 16:58:02 (D | E)
Hello

Adjectives are invariable in English. Generally, compound adjectives are separated by hyphens:
There are two year old cars.
Without hyphens, this sentence can be understood two ways:
There are two cars that are one year old. (two year-old cars = two one-year-old cars = two cars that are one year old)
There are some cars that are two years old.

However:
There are two-year-old cars.
This only means that there are some cars that are two years old.
So, when you use 24 hours as an adjective (invariable), it should be:
This store offers 24-hour service.

Re: Hour or hours/help from gerondif, posted on 17-09-2013 at 19:43:00 (D | E)
Hello,

notrepere has said it all.
a young boy, two young boys: young is invariable as an adjective, no plural.
a six-month-old baby, a twelve-year-old boy. same thing, no plural in the adjective.
a twelve-metre-long yacht is twelve metres long.
Remember that a brush for your teeth is a toothbrush
You will receive more than one letter in your life in your letter-box, a box intended for letters.

Re: Hour or hours/help from margarita89, posted on 18-09-2013 at 05:26:49 (D | E)
Hello everybody, thanks for important replies.

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