Editor's Corner

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the original Grammar Girl herself, Mignon Fogarty. Here’s a brief excerpt from her book, The Grammar Devotional (p.187):

The Ownership of Time

People often ask how to write about a length of time or an amount of money. Do you need an apostrophe? If you do, does it go at the end?

Think of the years, days, minutes, or dollars owning the noun. That means the correct way to write such phrases is with an apostrophe. Then the same rules apply as any other possessive: if your word is singular, add an apostrophe s; if it’s plural, the apostrophe goes at the end:

· One year’s time

· Twenty years’ experience

· Two weeks’ notice

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773

Symitar Documentation Services

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