Sunday, January 24, 2016

Which is correct, "I am 6 feet" or "I am 6 foot"?

Which of the following do you think is correct?
  1. I am 6 foot 2 inches.
  2. I am 6 feet 2 inches.
  3. I am 6'2".
  4. I am 6 ft 2 in.

Answer

In fact, all 4 are correct, but we use them in different situations. 

  1. I am 6 foot 2 inches. Use "6 foot" for informal speaking situations.
  2. I am 6 feet 2 inches. This is the correct form for any situation.
  3. I am 6'2". Use 6' as a short way to express 6 feet. Use double-prime (") for inches. Most people understand this shorthand for feet and inches. 
  4. I am 6 ft 2 in. The standard international abbreviation for feet is ft and inches is in. 

Errors

Sometimes learners make the mistake of confusing the single prime (') and double prime (") and use the prime for inches and the double prime for feet. For example.

I am 6"2' tall. (Incorrect) 
Other times, learners use both the prime and the word, which is redundant.
I am 6' feet 2" inches tall. (Incorrect) 

Furthermore, learners sometimes use two apostrophes for a double prime instead of the " symbol. This should be avoided also.

Check your writing for errors on VirtualWritingTutor.com the best free ESL grammar checker.

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