Meryl's Notes Blog
Things wordy, geeky, and webbyPossessives in Disguise
Tuesday, May 25th, 2004 at 8:45 PM |Vicky Kirby of Austin College writes, “I just read your review of Eats, Shoots & Leaves, which I quite enjoyed. I can be quite a grammar and punctuation stickler myself. However, I have a question for you. In the book, there is much ado about the need for an apostrophe in Two Weeks’ Notice. I disagree.
“There is no possession implied and it would be correct to have a title of One Week Notice with no punctuation. This has gone around in my head since I read that portion of the book. Am I missing something? I believe the movie title Two Weeks Notice is correct with no additional punctuation.”
Vicky is right in that this is a tough one to figure out. Even I have a hard time trying to understand it like a logical math problem. For many grammar rules, I’m able to translate it from a foreign language into English… but not this one. One week’s vacation, two week’s pay, and three days’ work are correct and sound wonderful after working 12-hour days for the past four days.
The AP Stylebook says these are quasi possessives, but it would be better to use a hyphenated for: a one-week vacation, two-week pay, and three-day work.
To make it more difficult, we don’t use an apostrophe in descriptive phrases when a word is used in a descriptive sense: citizens band radio, a Texas Rangers pitcher, a writers guide. ?!?!
The stylebook provides a memory aid. It says:
The apostrophe is not used if for or by rather than of would be appropriate in the longer form: a radio band for citizens, a pticher for Texas Rangers, a guide for writers.
That’s not all…
An ‘s is required when a term involves a plural word that doesn’t end in s: a children’s hospital, a women’s organization.
This is too much thinking after four long shifts.
Tidewater Community College has a decent explanation:
Use the possesive form for the owner or possessor, not for the thing possessed. Note that a possessive noun functions as an adjective.
Grammar Goddess says:
It is idiomatic to use the possessive form with periods of time and statements of worth-three weeks’ notice, three dollars’ worth.
The final word, Lynne Truss is right. The movie title should be Two Weeks’ Notice or Two-Week Notice.
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2 comments
Hi meryl,
I was going to write a blog post on this myself and found your article while doing research. I’m sorry to point out that I have found a misplaced apostrophe in your otherwise delightful post.
“One week’s vacation, two week’s pay, and three days’ work…”
Surely you mean “two weeks’ pay”?
Feel free to pick though GrammarBlog, http://spandg.blogspot.com, and pick me up on my bad spelling. We’re fairly new on the block and would love some feedback.
You’re right, Gez. Sometimes, my fingers and my mind don’t cooperate. I appreciate your pointing it out and won’t correct the post.
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