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Possible Duplicate:
‘A[n] * [number] [plural]’ Construction

Why do we need an indefinite article in the sentence "The price is an incredible 50,000 dollars"? "An" is singular, "dollars" is plural.

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Isabella Clochard
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1 Answers1

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It’s because the price is one thing, so the fifty grand is being thought of as a single thing, too. This happens with other things that are thought of as a single unit, despite their multiple components. Consider:

  • The trip was a difficult hundred miles.
  • I’ve just had a very painful last three days.
  • It’s an easy five more matches, and then you win the trophy.
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