Quick Grammar Question
19 July 2007, 10:42 AM
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Quick Grammar Question
12 years specialist experience?
12 year's specialist experience?
I'm guessing the latter as the specialist experience belongs to the years....?
Oh - and here's one we fell out about at work recently:
1 months notice?
1 month's notice?
Ta everso!
12 year's specialist experience?
I'm guessing the latter as the specialist experience belongs to the years....?
Oh - and here's one we fell out about at work recently:
1 months notice?
1 month's notice?
Ta everso!
19 July 2007, 10:47 AM
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19 July 2007, 10:51 AM
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There are two schools (school's) 
of thought on the issue:
Some sources (e.g. Practical English Usage, Michael Swan, Oxford University Press, 1997) indicate that we can use apostrophes if we want to make a plural form of a noun that does not normally have one:
I am afraid there are too many if’s and but’s for me to approve the plan.
Other sources (e.g. Apostrophe Protection Society), however, indicate that apostrophes have no place in plurals because they do not represent missing letters or possession, and that the examples above should be written:
I am afraid there are too many IFs and BUTs for me to approve the plan.
The manager crossed the Ts and dotted the Is of the document.
Personally I vere towards no apostrophe.
of thought on the issue:Some sources (e.g. Practical English Usage, Michael Swan, Oxford University Press, 1997) indicate that we can use apostrophes if we want to make a plural form of a noun that does not normally have one:
I am afraid there are too many if’s and but’s for me to approve the plan.
Other sources (e.g. Apostrophe Protection Society), however, indicate that apostrophes have no place in plurals because they do not represent missing letters or possession, and that the examples above should be written:
I am afraid there are too many IFs and BUTs for me to approve the plan.
The manager crossed the Ts and dotted the Is of the document.
Personally I vere towards no apostrophe.
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19 July 2007, 10:52 AM
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19 July 2007, 10:58 AM
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12 years specialist experience.
Even if you go down the possessive plural route what do the years and experience belong to? The person writing the CV I hope, and they aren't referenced in the sentence. More normally you'd expect:
I have 12 years specialist experience
Even if you go down the possessive plural route what do the years and experience belong to? The person writing the CV I hope, and they aren't referenced in the sentence. More normally you'd expect:
I have 12 years specialist experience
19 July 2007, 11:06 AM
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Thanks all - it's something that's going to be seen by a bunch of pedants - so I though NSR was the best place to check it out! Cheers! 
19 July 2007, 11:10 AM
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19 July 2007, 11:37 AM
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I'm arguing that it's needed because 'years' is in the genitive case. A common test for this is whether you can replace the apostrophe with the word 'of', e.g. 12 years of experience or 12 years' experience.
Also, if you drop the apostrophe, years become an adjective, which doesn't make any sense at all. What type of experience is 'years experience'?
19 July 2007, 11:44 AM
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You're arguing that an apostrophe isn't needed because it's a plural. I don't disagree.
I'm arguing that it's needed because 'years' is in the genitive case. A common test for this is whether you can replace the apostrophe with the word 'of', e.g. 12 years of experience or 12 years' experience.
Also, if you drop the apostrophe, years become an adjective, which doesn't make any sense at all. What type of experience is 'years experience'?
I'm arguing that it's needed because 'years' is in the genitive case. A common test for this is whether you can replace the apostrophe with the word 'of', e.g. 12 years of experience or 12 years' experience.
Also, if you drop the apostrophe, years become an adjective, which doesn't make any sense at all. What type of experience is 'years experience'?
It's clear that there is no correct answer in this case - Like so many grammer questions, there are two correct answers.
19 July 2007, 11:46 AM
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Thanks for the help and suggestions - I'm glad it wasn't something simple I should have known.
Who invented this bloody language - and its silly rules!
Who invented this bloody language - and its silly rules!
19 July 2007, 11:46 AM
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19 July 2007, 11:49 AM
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19 July 2007, 11:57 AM
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19 July 2007, 12:00 PM
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It is a possessive plural - you do NOT use an apostrophe for a possessive plural. Strictly speaking, the apostrophe is a function of punctuation and not grammar.
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