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Should there be an “a” before “ten years imprisonment”?
should there be a definite article before “eye level”? (a quote from Salinger)Should there be “the” in “Agriculture depends on (the) weather”?Should we use “a” or “the” before dateShould I use 'the' before 'same'?Why should I use 'the' before 'phone' but 'a' before 'voice message' in these sentences?Take part in making of something: Should there be “the” article before “making”?“As years pass” or “as the years pass”?Should there be an article before “cell phone”?Should there be an article in front of “onset”?Should we use “the” before “current”?
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As part of a question I had on another SE site, I stumbled upon an article which has the following sentence:
If a Georgia resident plans to travel elsewhere to obtain an abortion, she may be charged with conspiracy to commit murder, punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment
Shouldn't the answer to punishable by what? be: by a 10 years imprisonment or by 10 years of imprisonment?
articles
asked 8 hours ago
WoJWoJ
17415
add a comment |
As part of a question I had on another SE site, I stumbled upon an article which has the following sentence:
If a Georgia resident plans to travel elsewhere to obtain an abortion, she may be charged with conspiracy to commit murder, punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment
Shouldn't the answer to punishable by what? be: by a 10 years imprisonment or by 10 years of imprisonment?
articles
asked 8 hours ago
WoJWoJ
17415
add a comment |
As part of a question I had on another SE site, I stumbled upon an article which has the following sentence:
If a Georgia resident plans to travel elsewhere to obtain an abortion, she may be charged with conspiracy to commit murder, punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment
Shouldn't the answer to punishable by what? be: by a 10 years imprisonment or by 10 years of imprisonment?
articles
asked 8 hours ago
WoJWoJ
17415
As part of a question I had on another SE site, I stumbled upon an article which has the following sentence:
If a Georgia resident plans to travel elsewhere to obtain an abortion, she may be charged with conspiracy to commit murder, punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment
Shouldn't the answer to punishable by what? be: by a 10 years imprisonment or by 10 years of imprisonment?
articles
articles
asked 8 hours ago
WoJWoJ
17415
asked 8 hours ago
WoJWoJ
17415
asked 8 hours ago
WoJWoJ
17415
asked 8 hours ago
WoJWoJ
17415
asked 8 hours ago
WoJWoJ
17415
17415
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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No. There is an apostrophe after "years", so it means "imprisonment of ten years" - though you wouldn't actually say that, you'd say "imprisonment for ten years".
Imprisonment, like most abstracts, is a non-count noun, and doesn't take "a".
You could just about say "a ten-year imprisonment", where the article is licensed by the qualifier on "imprisonment" (compare "a very cruel imprisonment"), but it is not idiomatic. But the plural ending on "years" indicates that it cannot be that construction.
Edit: corrected "count" to "non-count" above.
answered 8 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
33.9k24967
1
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
7 hours ago
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
6 hours ago
@Cardinal: I can't fault that, but I wouldn't say it, probably because "ten years' imprisionment" is shorter (and idiomatic, for me).
– Colin Fine
1 hour ago
@JasonB - I'm not sure about what qualifies as "idiomatic," but I think Colin correctly points out which one we're more likely to encounter in printed reports.
– J.R.♦
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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No. There is an apostrophe after "years", so it means "imprisonment of ten years" - though you wouldn't actually say that, you'd say "imprisonment for ten years".
Imprisonment, like most abstracts, is a non-count noun, and doesn't take "a".
You could just about say "a ten-year imprisonment", where the article is licensed by the qualifier on "imprisonment" (compare "a very cruel imprisonment"), but it is not idiomatic. But the plural ending on "years" indicates that it cannot be that construction.
Edit: corrected "count" to "non-count" above.
answered 8 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
33.9k24967
1
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
7 hours ago
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
6 hours ago
@Cardinal: I can't fault that, but I wouldn't say it, probably because "ten years' imprisionment" is shorter (and idiomatic, for me).
– Colin Fine
1 hour ago
@JasonB - I'm not sure about what qualifies as "idiomatic," but I think Colin correctly points out which one we're more likely to encounter in printed reports.
– J.R.♦
1 hour ago
add a comment |
No. There is an apostrophe after "years", so it means "imprisonment of ten years" - though you wouldn't actually say that, you'd say "imprisonment for ten years".
Imprisonment, like most abstracts, is a non-count noun, and doesn't take "a".
You could just about say "a ten-year imprisonment", where the article is licensed by the qualifier on "imprisonment" (compare "a very cruel imprisonment"), but it is not idiomatic. But the plural ending on "years" indicates that it cannot be that construction.
Edit: corrected "count" to "non-count" above.
answered 8 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
33.9k24967
1
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
7 hours ago
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
6 hours ago
@Cardinal: I can't fault that, but I wouldn't say it, probably because "ten years' imprisionment" is shorter (and idiomatic, for me).
– Colin Fine
1 hour ago
@JasonB - I'm not sure about what qualifies as "idiomatic," but I think Colin correctly points out which one we're more likely to encounter in printed reports.
– J.R.♦
1 hour ago
add a comment |
No. There is an apostrophe after "years", so it means "imprisonment of ten years" - though you wouldn't actually say that, you'd say "imprisonment for ten years".
Imprisonment, like most abstracts, is a non-count noun, and doesn't take "a".
You could just about say "a ten-year imprisonment", where the article is licensed by the qualifier on "imprisonment" (compare "a very cruel imprisonment"), but it is not idiomatic. But the plural ending on "years" indicates that it cannot be that construction.
Edit: corrected "count" to "non-count" above.
answered 8 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
33.9k24967
No. There is an apostrophe after "years", so it means "imprisonment of ten years" - though you wouldn't actually say that, you'd say "imprisonment for ten years".
Imprisonment, like most abstracts, is a non-count noun, and doesn't take "a".
You could just about say "a ten-year imprisonment", where the article is licensed by the qualifier on "imprisonment" (compare "a very cruel imprisonment"), but it is not idiomatic. But the plural ending on "years" indicates that it cannot be that construction.
Edit: corrected "count" to "non-count" above.
answered 8 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
33.9k24967
edited 1 hour ago
answered 8 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
33.9k24967
answered 8 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
33.9k24967
answered 8 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
33.9k24967
33.9k24967
1
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
7 hours ago
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
6 hours ago
@Cardinal: I can't fault that, but I wouldn't say it, probably because "ten years' imprisionment" is shorter (and idiomatic, for me).
– Colin Fine
1 hour ago
@JasonB - I'm not sure about what qualifies as "idiomatic," but I think Colin correctly points out which one we're more likely to encounter in printed reports.
– J.R.♦
1 hour ago
add a comment |
1
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
7 hours ago
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
6 hours ago
@Cardinal: I can't fault that, but I wouldn't say it, probably because "ten years' imprisionment" is shorter (and idiomatic, for me).
– Colin Fine
1 hour ago
@JasonB - I'm not sure about what qualifies as "idiomatic," but I think Colin correctly points out which one we're more likely to encounter in printed reports.
– J.R.♦
1 hour ago
1
1
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
7 hours ago
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
7 hours ago
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
6 hours ago
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
6 hours ago
@Cardinal: I can't fault that, but I wouldn't say it, probably because "ten years' imprisionment" is shorter (and idiomatic, for me).
– Colin Fine
1 hour ago
@Cardinal: I can't fault that, but I wouldn't say it, probably because "ten years' imprisionment" is shorter (and idiomatic, for me).
– Colin Fine
1 hour ago
@JasonB - I'm not sure about what qualifies as "idiomatic," but I think Colin correctly points out which one we're more likely to encounter in printed reports.
– J.R.♦
1 hour ago
@JasonB - I'm not sure about what qualifies as "idiomatic," but I think Colin correctly points out which one we're more likely to encounter in printed reports.
– J.R.♦
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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