ENGLISH
REFERENCE

x years old

fixed phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

fixed phr.. A phrase used to say how old someone or something is. You replace 'X' with a number.

fixed phr.. A fixed adjectival phrase stating the age of a noun, formed by a cardinal number followed by 'years old'. It typically functions as a predicative adjective after the verb 'to be'.


SIMPLE

My cat is three years old.

CONTEXTUAL

The building is over one hundred years old and is now a protected landmark.

COMPLEX

Although the wine is only ten years old, its complex bouquet suggests a maturity far beyond its age.

Usage

This phrase follows a form of the verb 'to be' (e.g., 'am', 'is', 'are').

Teaching tip

Contrast this predicative form ('The boy is ten years old') with the hyphenated attributive form ('He is a ten-year-old boy').

Pitfall

He is seven year old.He is seven years old.Use the plural 'years' for any age greater than one.

© 2026 English Reference