a 120-feet high

[sb70012]

A giant kind of grass, bamboo may reach a diameter of one foot and ……………….

A. its height is 120 feet
B. a height of 120 feet (Answer)
C. a 120-feet high
D. as high as 12 feet

Source: university exam

Hi,
Why can't C work? C looks OK to me.

Thank you.

 

[grassy]

C. a 120-feet high

Articles such as 'a' are used before nouns. Can you see a noun there?

 

[Edinburgher]

Partly because feet should be foot here.
Partly because high is not a noun; it is an adjective, so we are left asking "It can reach a 120-foot high what?"
Although, if you consult a dictionary, you will find that high can be a noun, none of the meanings fit this context.

 

[Glasguensis]

It's simply not what we say. Whilst it is possible to say "to reach a 120-feet high", we only use this for dynamic measurements (the solar-powered aircraft rose to a 120-feet high after ten minutes). The height of bamboo is a static measurement (obviously bamboo grows, but it generally doesn't vary in height on a regular basis).

 

[JustKate]

It's simply not what we say. Whilst it is possible to say "to reach a 120-feet high", we only use this for dynamic measurements (the solar-powered aircraft rose to a 120-feet high after ten minutes). The height of bamboo is a static measurement (obviously bamboo grows, but it generally doesn't vary in height on a regular basis).

I agree that it is possible to say "rose to a 120-feet high after 10 minutes," but I really can't imagine actually saying that. I wouldn't recommend that SB learn how to use this particular structure because while it is possible, it's not a very common way to do it, and it's also quite awkward.