# between eleven and sixteen years old.



## stelingo

How do you say ' The pupils are between eleven and sixteen years old.'?

My attempt: Uczniowie mają między jedenastoma i szesnastoma latami.

Thanks


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## dreamlike

I hate to say it but this is wrong. I'd understand it, but it's bad style and it's lacking in grammar. 

I'd be most likely to say 'Uczniowie mają od jedenastu do szesnastu lat'.


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## stelingo

An alternative attempt: Uczniowie są w wieku jedenaście - szesnaście lat.


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## dreamlike

That's better, but it still calls for some corrections. _Uczniowie są w wieku jedenastu - szesnastu lat. _


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## stelingo

dreamlike said:


> I hate to say it but this is wrong. I'd understand it, but it's bad style and it's lacking in grammar.
> 
> I'd be most likely to say 'Uczniowie mają od jedenastu do szesnastu lat'.



Harsh words for somebody who is learning the language. I accept that it's incorrect, I had my doubts which is why I posted the question. But how is it lacking in grammar?


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## dreamlike

stelingo said:


> Harsh words for somebody who is learning the language. I accept that it's incorrect, I had my doubts which is why I posted the question. But how is it lacking in grammar?


I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I said "I hate to say it..." and I know that Polish is a difficult language to learn. 

It is lacking in grammar because the word "lata" has been declined incorrectly. In your sentence as it stands it should be "lat*y*". 
But just forget your intial sentence and go for either* "Uczniowie mają od jedenastu do szesnastu lat"* or *"Uczniowie są w wieku jedenastu - szesnastu lat" *


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## LilianaB

I would say: "Uczniowie są w wieku od jedenastu do szesnastu lat." or, "uczniowie mają od jedenastu do szesnastu lat."

And Stelingo, I am sorry to hurt your feelings even more, but the sentence you posted is totally wrong by the conventions of how Polish is spoken. Absurdly enough, it may really be right if someone went just by the grammatical rules and logic, but it  does not always work this way, and this time it is really wrong. I hope I really did not hurt your feelings, but this is the cruel truth. Good luck with Polish.


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## BezierCurve

> An alternative attempt: Uczniowie są w wieku jedenaście - szesnaście lat.



I hate to say it, but this is what you can actually hear in spoken Polish, so, I wouldn't worry too much in case of this one (as far as communication is concerned).


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## dreamlike

BezierCurve said:


> I hate to say it, but this is what you can actually hear in spoken Polish, so, I wouldn't worry too much in case of this one (as far as communication is concerned).


It would be _acceptable _coming from a non-native speaker of Polish but it would be vey sloppy use of language if a Pole were to say this. 
Steling is better off with "uczniowie mają od jedenastu do szesnastu lat" -- let us not make the learners of Polish adopt bad language habits.


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## Ben Jamin

stelingo said:


> An alternative attempt: Uczniowie są w wieku jedenaście - szesnaście lat.



Acceptable ina colloquial language. Not acceptable in formal written language.


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## kknd

stelingo said:


> An alternative attempt: Uczniowie są w wieku jedenaście - szesnaście lat.


another alternative: _Uczniowie mają jedenaście–szesnaście lat._ (it's looks better as _Uczniowie mają 11–16 lat._ which is acceptable.) but still better would be: _Uczniowie mają od jedenastu do szesnastu lat._ in formal language.


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