Collins Cobuild English Grammar (59 page)

It’
s
at least
a thousand million years old
.
The house
was
about
thirty years old
.

Note that you can also use this pattern after a noun.

…rocks
200 million years old
.

a compound adjective indicating the century when something existed or was made, which consists of an ordinal number and
century

…a
sixth-century
church.
…life in
fifth-century
Athens.

a compound adjective, usually hyphenated, consisting of a number, followed by a singular noun referring to a period of time, followed by
old

…a
1,000-year-old
temple.

Approximate amounts and measurements

2.264
  If you do not know the exact number, size, or quantity of something, you can give an approximate amount or measurement using one of a group of special words and expressions. Some of these words and expressions are put in front of a quantity and some are put after it.

Here is a list of some of the words and expressions used to give approximate amounts and measurements:

about

almost

a maximum of

a minimum of

approximately

around

at least

at most

at the maximum

at the most

less than

maximum

minimum

more than

nearly

no more than

odd

or less

or more

or so

or thereabouts

or under

over

roughly

some

something like

under

up to

expressing minimum amounts

2.265
  Some of these expressions indicate that a number is a minimum figure and that the actual figure is or may be larger.

Here is a list of expressions that indicate a minimum number:

a minimum of

at least

minimum

more than

or more

over

plus

USAGE NOTE

2.266
  You put
a minimum of
,
more than
, and
over
in front of a number.

He needed
a minimum of
26 Democratic votes.
…a school with
more than
1300 pupils.
The British have been on the island for
over
a thousand years.

You put
or more
and
plus
after a number or amount, and
minimum
after an amount.

…a choice of three
or more
possibilities.
This is the worst disaster I can remember in my 25 years
plus
as a police officer.
He does an hour’s homework per night
minimum
.

You put
at least
in front of a number or after a number or amount.

She had
at least
a dozen brandies.
I must have slept twelve hours
at least
!

expressing maximum amounts

2.267
  Some of these expressions are used to indicate that a number is a maximum figure and that the actual figure is or may be smaller.

Here is a list of expressions that indicate a maximum number:

almost

a maximum of

at most

at the maximum

at the most

less than

maximum

nearly

no more than

or less

or under

under

up to

USAGE NOTE

2.268
  You put
almost
,
a maximum of
,
less than
,
nearly
,
no more than
,
under
, and
up to
in front of a number.

The company now supplies
almost
100 of the city’s restaurants.
These loans must be repaid over
a maximum of
three years.
…a puppy
less than
seven weeks old.
She had
nearly
fifty dollars.
We managed to finish the entire job in
under
three months.
Their bodies might be
up to
a metre wide.

You put
at the maximum
,
at most
,
at the most
,
maximum
,
or less
, and
or under
after a number.

Classes are of eight
at the maximum
.
The images take thirty-six hours
maximum
.
The area would yield only 200 pounds of rice
or less
.
…12 hours a week
or under
.

expressing approximate amounts

2.269
  Some of these expressions are used to show that a number is approximate and that the actual figure could be larger or smaller.

Here is a list of the expressions showing that a number is approximate:

about

approximately

around

odd

or so

or thereabouts

roughly

some

something like

USAGE NOTE

2.270
  You put
about
,
approximately
,
around
,
roughly
,
some
, and
something like
in front of a number.