Time expressions with possessive ’s
B2 · duration & measure phrases
two hours’ walk · a two-hour walk · of + time
1) What is the “time possessive”?
English often uses possessive marking with time words to express duration/measure before a noun: two years’ experience, a day’s work, in three years’ time. It’s a compact alternative to of-phrases and to hyphenated measure adjectives.
- Possessive We need two years’ experience.
- of-phrase We need experience of two years.
- Hyphenated We need a two-year experience record.
With things we normally avoid possessive ’s (the end of the street), but time words are a major exception.
2) Spelling & form
| Time word | Form of possessive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | ’s | an hour’s delay · a year’s leave |
| Regular plural in -s | ’ (apostrophe only) | two hours’ work · five years’ growth |
| Irregular plural | ’s | two children’s bedtimes · several men’s shifts |
Don’t drop the apostrophe: *two years experience is informal and often marked wrong in careful writing.
3) Which pattern should I use?
- Possessive ’s concise and natural before a noun: three weeks’ notice.
- of-phrase more formal/literal: a journey of three hours.
- Hyphenated measure used when the time phrase modifies a noun: a three-hour journey. The time word stays singular.
Avoid mixing systems: *a three-hours’ journey (✗). Choose either three-hour or three hours’.
4) Equivalences & conversions
| Possessive | Hyphenated | of-phrase |
|---|---|---|
| two hours’ walk | a two-hour walk | a walk of two hours |
| one year’s leave | a one-year leave | leave of one year |
| five minutes’ silence | a five-minute silence | a silence of five minutes |
5) Very common time-possessives
- a day’s work · a night’s sleep · a week’s holiday
- yesterday’s news · today’s meeting · tomorrow’s weather
- in two years’ time · in a week’s time
- this year’s budget · last year’s sales · next year’s targets
6) When the possessive is not used
- Age & states two months old, nine months pregnant (✗ *two months’ old).
- Preposition of duration With for + period: for three years (not *for three years’).
- After nouns used alone Don’t add ’s to the hyphenated form: a four-hour delay (✗ *a four-hours’ delay).
7) The “of-test” heuristic
If of + time sounds natural, the possessive version is usually valid.
- Works experience of two years → two years’ experience.
- Works a drive of one hour → one hour’s drive.
- Doesn’t work *months of old → keep: two months old.
8) Punctuation & spacing
- Placement The apostrophe goes after plural -s: three years’; and before -s in singular: one year’s.
- Irregular plurals take ’s: two children’s bedtime.
- No double marking Don’t write both hyphen and plural-’s: two-hour vs two hours’.
9) Gallery of natural examples
- He lives one hour’s drive from the airport.
- Two years’ experience is essential for this role.
- The three hours’ journey through the valley was stunning.
- We’re planning a ten-day trip (= ten days’ trip).
- Submit the report in a week’s time, please.
In careful writing both two years’ experience and experience of two years are correct; the possessive form is more concise and idiomatic in modern English.
Exercises:
Time expressions with possessive’s
Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
1
It’s about
from here.
2
We did
yesterday and went home exhausted.
3
The results will be out in
.
4
They can cancel
, so keep your phone on.
5
That rumor is just
— don’t worry about it.
6
From the gate to the beach is
.
7
She has over
in product design.
8
He took
to recharge.
9
They asked for
in advance.
10
We’re planning
to the coast in July.
Time expressions with possessive’s
Choose the correct options for the gaps in these sentences.
1
Original: a walk that takes two hours
Transform:
2
Original: a break of five minutes
Transform:
3
Original: a journey lasting one day
Transform:
4
Original: work that took three months
Transform:
5
Original: notice of one week
Transform:
6
Original: experience gained over ten years
Transform:
7
Original: sleep that lasted eight hours
Transform:
8
Original: the meeting scheduled for tomorrow
Transform:
9
Original: the budget for this year
Transform:
10
Original: the sales figures from last year
Transform: