How I say I work on a project that existed for 10 years?

Question

I was thinking about

I worked on a 10 year duration project

Is there any mistake or awkward construction on this phrase? I don't how to search about this type of phrase, where you state a number, a measurement unit and the aspect being measured. What is the correct solution?

I didn't find what this uniqe structure is called in grammar. — Virtuous Legend, Dec 19 '17 at 14:51
@COX1 If you have a different question, you should ask it using the "Ask Question" button so you can get a proper answer. You can link to this question, and the question Lars provided you as context to explain how your question arose. — ColleenV, Dec 19 '17 at 14:57

ColleenV · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-19T21:42:55.180

Without knowing more context, I would write "a 10-year-long project". For example, Great Migration Inspires 10-Year-Long Project by Hyde Park Photographer.

I would use the hyphens, but I think it is also acceptable to leave them off. For example, A Year Long Photography Project

Some learners might want to say "10 years long project", because it seems logical that when you have 10 of something you would use the plural, but that would not be correct (See Why is "letter" not plural in "two letter words"?). There is this question on EL&U that discusses "years-long": Is “yearslong” a word? You can say "years-long project" to describe something that lasted multiple years without saying exactly how many years.

How I say I work on a project that existed for 10 years?

1 Answers1