a two dollars per liter tariff?

[Sweetpumpkin]

Hello,

Here's VOA again.

The U.S is the largest importer, despite imposing a two dollars per liter tariff on Brazilian ethanol.

In the sentence above, Is the 'a' needed in it? In other words, is it correct grammatically? What confuses me is that 'two dollars'. Is it "a two-dollars-per-liter" tarrif?(the dictionary says tarrif is a countable noun) Or... do you think the reporter just mispronunced "a"?

Thanks,
sweetpumpkin

[Mister Micawber]

Yes, you need 'a'-- it's a tariff. 'Two-dollars-per-liter' is an adjective.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Serge]

Hello, I also have a question about this collocation. Why do we write a two-dollars-per liter, but we we write a five-storey house ? Why is "storey" in the sungukar and dollars in plural and sometimes we even write an apostrophe: a five-miles' journey ?

With best regards, Sergey

[Mister Micawber]

The adjective could also have been written as 'a two dollar per liter tariff'. I think the original writer was thinking of the whole phrase as adjective while knowing that rates take plural: 12 mph, 32 m/sec/sec, etc.

Using the genitive apostrophe is just an alternate method for time and distance. Think of it as: a five-miles' journey = a journey of five miles.
.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Nanucbe]

Noun adjectives which have plural form like 'dollar' - 'dollars' etc. when used before a noun, it is always used in the singular. A two liter can. A five dollar note. A two hundred page note-book etc. But when the same occurs after the main word or headword that is written in plural. A note-book having two hundred pages. Note these too: A man’s work, a women’s club. best of luck, nanucbe