Consider the sentences:
1) I need a three-foot rope.
2) I need a three foot long rope.

In the first the number and measure combine as what looks like a
compound adjective.  In the second the same combination is telling us
the extent of the length expressed by the adjective, and looks like
an  adverbial noun phrase.  In both cases the noun "foot" is
singular.  (1) could be called an attributive noun, if it might be
confusing to syntax to introduce the morphological term "compound
adjective."

3a) The rope I need is a three foot one.
3b) What I need is a three foot rope.

4a) The rope I need is three feet long.
4b) What I need is three feet (of rope).

In (4) the noun "feet" is plural, yet it serves as an adverbial noun
modifying the adjective "long."  Comparing it to (2) we see that the
only difference is the position of the adjective.  In (4) it is a
predicate adjective, whereas in (2) it is an attributive adjective.
[BTW, this kind of rank-shifting of adverbial nouns seems to fly in
the face of transformationalists who want to derive the structure of
(2) from that of (4).  The idea is that the adjective phrase can be
described once, then found in two positions.]  This seems to tell us
that there is a difference in the possible modifiers of the adjective
depending on its postion in the sentence.

Of interest in this regard is also the following:
4) The sailor asked for three foot of rope.  (an old sailor)
5) The sailor asked for three feet of rope.  (a modern one)
6) The rope I need is a three-footer.

Bruce

To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/