You have probably seen both ‘years old’ and ‘year-old’ and asked yourself: which one is correct? The truth is that the two can be correct, but they are used in different ways. Learn how to use them:
✅ Years old:
When we talk about age we use the verb to be.
Examples:
- I am twenty years old.
- This building is fifty years old.
- My father is fifty-seven years old.
✅ Year-old:
We use 'year-old' when age is used as an adjective (in this case, we always use it before the name and with a hyphen).
Examples:
- My eighteen-year-old daughter is starting college this week.
- I live in a twenty-year-old house.
- My 10-year-old television broke down.
Let's practice!
Write in the comments section sentences with ‘years old’ and ‘year-old’.
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