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yffjcn
Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 41
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:24 pm Post subject: how to use "score" |
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please tell me which one are correct.
two score of students
several/many scores of students
could somebody tell me "of" in the phrases is necessary? |
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CP
Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 2875 Location: California
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:15 pm Post subject: |
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A score is 20. It is an old fashioned word, most frequently encountered in the beginning of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: "Fourscore and twenty years ago, . . . " that is, 84 years ago, said back during the Civil War.
It sounded great then, out of Mr. Lincoln's mouth, but sounds pretty dated out of anyone's mouth today.
So, "two score of students" or "two score students," both of which I believe would be correct, just means 40 students, and would be more easily understood as "forty students" these days.
As for "several/many scores of students," it would be just as effective, and more likely, so say, "scores of students."
Hope this helps. _________________ You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb |
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yffjcn
Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 41
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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| CP wrote: |
A score is 20. It is an old fashioned word, most frequently encountered in the beginning of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: "Fourscore and twenty years ago, . . . " that is, 84 years ago, said back during the Civil War.
It sounded great then, out of Mr. Lincoln's mouth, but sounds pretty dated out of anyone's mouth today.
So, "two score of students" or "two score students," both of which I believe would be correct, just means 40 students, and would be more easily understood as "forty students" these days.
As for "several/many scores of students," it would be just as effective, and more likely, so say, "scores of students."
Hope this helps. |
Thank you very much. |
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