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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 May 22 at 15:39
WoJWoJ
186116
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 May 22 at 15:39
WoJWoJ
186116
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 May 22 at 15:39
WoJWoJ
186116
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 May 22 at 15:39
WoJWoJ
186116
asked May 22 at 15:39
WoJWoJ
186116
asked May 22 at 15:39
WoJWoJ
186116
asked May 22 at 15:39
WoJWoJ
186116
asked May 22 at 15:39
WoJWoJ
186116
186116
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 May 22 at 15:54
Colin FineColin Fine
34.5k25267
2
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
May 22 at 17:12
1
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
May 22 at 17:32
@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
May 22 at 22:33
@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.♦
May 22 at 22:55
1
@Cardinal "by ten years of imprisonment" does not sound right. The alternates to "punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment" are "punishable by a 10 year prison sentence" and "punishable by a sentence of 10 years in prison".
– RonJohn
May 23 at 1:22
|
show 3 more comments
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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 May 22 at 15:54
Colin FineColin Fine
34.5k25267
2
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
May 22 at 17:12
1
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
May 22 at 17:32
@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
May 22 at 22:33
@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.♦
May 22 at 22:55
1
@Cardinal "by ten years of imprisonment" does not sound right. The alternates to "punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment" are "punishable by a 10 year prison sentence" and "punishable by a sentence of 10 years in prison".
– RonJohn
May 23 at 1:22
|
show 3 more comments
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 May 22 at 15:54
Colin FineColin Fine
34.5k25267
2
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
May 22 at 17:12
1
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
May 22 at 17:32
@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
May 22 at 22:33
@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.♦
May 22 at 22:55
1
@Cardinal "by ten years of imprisonment" does not sound right. The alternates to "punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment" are "punishable by a 10 year prison sentence" and "punishable by a sentence of 10 years in prison".
– RonJohn
May 23 at 1:22
|
show 3 more comments
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 May 22 at 15:54
Colin FineColin Fine
34.5k25267
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 May 22 at 15:54
Colin FineColin Fine
34.5k25267
edited May 22 at 22:29
answered May 22 at 15:54
Colin FineColin Fine
34.5k25267
answered May 22 at 15:54
Colin FineColin Fine
34.5k25267
answered May 22 at 15:54
Colin FineColin Fine
34.5k25267
34.5k25267
2
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
May 22 at 17:12
1
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
May 22 at 17:32
@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
May 22 at 22:33
@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.♦
May 22 at 22:55
1
@Cardinal "by ten years of imprisonment" does not sound right. The alternates to "punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment" are "punishable by a 10 year prison sentence" and "punishable by a sentence of 10 years in prison".
– RonJohn
May 23 at 1:22
|
show 3 more comments
2
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
May 22 at 17:12
1
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
May 22 at 17:32
@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
May 22 at 22:33
@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.♦
May 22 at 22:55
1
@Cardinal "by ten years of imprisonment" does not sound right. The alternates to "punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment" are "punishable by a 10 year prison sentence" and "punishable by a sentence of 10 years in prison".
– RonJohn
May 23 at 1:22
2
2
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
May 22 at 17:12
What about OP's last suggestion; that looks right to me: by ten years of imprisonment.
– Cardinal
May 22 at 17:12
1
1
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
May 22 at 17:32
I disagree that a ten year imprisonment is unidiomatic. But that's a minor point.
– Jason Bassford
May 22 at 17:32
@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
May 22 at 22:33
@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
May 22 at 22:33
@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.♦
May 22 at 22:55
@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.♦
May 22 at 22:55
1
1
@Cardinal "by ten years of imprisonment" does not sound right. The alternates to "punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment" are "punishable by a 10 year prison sentence" and "punishable by a sentence of 10 years in prison".
– RonJohn
May 23 at 1:22
@Cardinal "by ten years of imprisonment" does not sound right. The alternates to "punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment" are "punishable by a 10 year prison sentence" and "punishable by a sentence of 10 years in prison".
– RonJohn
May 23 at 1:22
|
show 3 more comments
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