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 Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:14 am A three-day journey vs Three days' journey |
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| One is correct and one isn't. Do you know which is which? |
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canadian45
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| Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:02 pm Thanks |
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Hi canadian45,
Thanks for your response.
I think "A three-day journey" is correct.
But why is "Three day's journey" not correct?
Await your explanation
Jupiter |
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jupiter
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| Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:19 pm A three-day journey vs Three days' journey |
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Hi,
A three day journey is, as you say, correct. 'Three day' is descriptive and 'three days' ' is possessive.
A
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Alan
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| Fri Nov 17, 2006 21:10 pm A three-day journey vs Three days' journey |
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Couldn't "three days' journey" be acceptable as an estimate of distance?
"How far is it, Rodeon Romanovitch?"
"Oh, it's about three days' journey from here, Sofya."
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prezbucky
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| Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:31 am A three-day journey vs Three days' journey |
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Hi teachers,
Actually, I want to know if there's any difference between "a three-day journey" and "three day's journey"
Thanks
Jupiter |
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jupiter
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| Sat Nov 18, 2006 7:06 am A three-day journey vs Three days' journey |
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jupiter
The possessive form is not appropriate here; the journey is not a possession of 'three days'! You need an adjective, and the correct adjective is three-day. The adjective does not take an "s" or an apostrophe but it does need a hyphen, as it is a compound adjective. |
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canadian45
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| Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:14 am A three-day journey vs Three days' journey |
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Hi Jupiter
As Alan and prezbucky have already written, the correct possessive form of three days is three days'. The possessive apostrophe must be placed after the s in a plural noun such as days.
You will be able to find plenty of errors similar to three day's if you search the internet because putting the apostrophe in the wrong place is not an unusual mistake for either native or non-native speakers of English.
The word three-day is an adjective.
Otherwise, I'd say that there is basically no difference in meaning between a three-day journey and three days' journey, however I'd say that using the adjective (three-day) would be far more typical.
Amy
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Yankee
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| Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:50 am A three-day journey vs Three days' journey |
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Hi
| canadian45 wrote: | | The possessive form is not appropriate here; the journey is not a possession of 'three days'! |
Could you comment use of apostrophe in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (1962) ?
| Quote: | Couldn't "three days' journey" be acceptable as an estimate of distance?
"How far is it, Rodeon Romanovitch?" |
I think, translation from many languages tempts to use the form in this case.
If in some culture the distance informally estimated by the number of pipes smoked (to be smoked), there would be a temptation to say in English three pipes’ distance or something like that. Or not?
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Tamara
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| Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:03 am A three-day journey vs Three days' journey |
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| Yankee wrote: | | Otherwise, I'd say that there is basically no difference in meaning between a three-day journey and three days' journey, however I'd say that using the adjective (three-day) would be far more typical. |
Just to clarify a bit more:
If you say a three-day journey, the focus is on a journey
If you say three days' journey, your focus would be on the the length of time a journey to a certain place would take (and this also refers indirectly to the distance to a place).
Amy
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Yankee
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| Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:21 pm Thanks |
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Hi everyone, esp Amy,
Sorry for my typo "three day's journey". I did want to mean "three days' journey"
Thanks for your fantastic explanation. It made me clear at last.
Million thanks 
Jupiter |
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jupiter
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