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Re: apostrophes (was Whose experience is it anyways??????)
Subject:Re: apostrophes (was Whose experience is it anyways??????) From:"Williams, Diane (contractor)" <Williams_Diane -at- DOTE -dot- OSD -dot- MIL> Date:Thu, 27 Feb 1997 09:36:11 -0500
>>Susan --
> Another way of interpreting the abbreviated phrase is to include a
>missing word that we have taken as given for so long that many of us forget
>that good English used to require it be there. (two years worth of
>experience) This is probably what Chicago is assuming. The years own the
>worth, not the experience.
The Chicago Manual is assuming no such thing. Your phrase should read:
"...two years' worth" -- the worth of two years. As in "two years'
time" --
the time of two years, or "three days' pay" -- the pay of (that pertains
to
or belongs to) three days. Good English does not nor ever did require
that
the words "worth of" be inserted between "years'" and "experience." In
fact, it's somewhat redundant.
Said Joanna<<
Well, if folks don't want to use an apostrophe with years why not say
"two years of experience in such-and-such"?
Diane Williams
Walcoff & Associates, Inc.
Technical Editor/Writer
OSD, DOT&E
DWilliams -at- dote -dot- osd -dot- mil
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