Growing up too fast?

English as a Second Language English Teacher Explanations (ESL Tests)
1

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #299 [color=blue]“Life: Phrasal Verbs”, question 5

My little girl is … up too fast. I want her to be five-years-old forever.

(a) appearing
(b) raising
(c) building
(d) growing

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #299 [color=blue]“Life: Phrasal Verbs”, answer 5

My little girl is growing up too fast. I want her to be five-years-old forever.

Correct answer: (d) growing
[size=200]_________________________[/size]

I think I am right.

2

Yes, you’re right.

3

Hello,

I would like to ask that the sentence would be good if I wrote: My little girl is growing up too fast I want her to be five-year-old forever.

Have I to put “s” to the year?

Thanks:

Kati Svaby

4

Hi Katy,
Yes, you have to use an ‘s.’ It has to be four-years-old, five-years-old etc.

5

Dear Linda,

I think I express myself badly because I wanted to ask that “s” is necessary to put. Because I learned once that here five-year-old is an adjective or attribute and we don’t have to use “s”. But I don’t find this rule where I had learned it, that’s why I ask you.

Thanks:
Kati

6

Hi,

I think there is something to what Katy says. I believe it is possible to use five-year-old without the s, but in that case five-year-old would need to be preceded by an article – in this particular sentence, an indefinite article:

My little girl is growing up too fast. I want her to be a five-year-old forever.

If I am not mistaken, ‘‘five-year-old’’ is a compound word that acts like an adjective for the elliptical noun ‘‘girl’’.

Thanks

7

Yes, “a five-year-old child” is OK.
But, Katy asked about this question in particular and in this case, an ‘s’ is necessary.

8

Dear Linda,

Thank you everything.
Take care:
Kati