genitive VS compound noun

[hela]

Dear teachers,

First, happy New Year to you all, and thank you for your kindness and dedication. I want to tell you that you've helped a lot throughout these years and I feel deeply endebted to you.

My question for today is: Can I use the indefinite article with the genitive? Is it correct to say: "It's A five kilometres' walk" ?

What's the difference between : "It's a five kilometres' walk" (genitive); and

"It's a five-kilometre walk" (compound noun) ?

What should I say:

a) "There is two weeks delay" ; (with or without an apostrophe after "weeks" ?)

b) "There is a two weeks delay" ; (with or without an apostrophe after "weeks" ?)

c) "There is a two-week delay" ?

Would you please give me a sentence with the phrase above?

Many thanks,
Hela

[svartnik]

The Apostrophe

[svartnik]

My question for today is: Can I use the indefinite article with the genitive? Is it correct to say: "It's A five-kilometre(s') walk" ? NO

"What's the difference between : "It's a five kilometres' walk" (genitive); and

"It's a five-kilometre walk" (compound noun) ?" Nothing?


b) "There is a two weeks' delay"
c) "There is a two-week delay" ? --ok or a 2 weeks' delay

[hela]

OK, let me recap. According to what you've told me and according to "owl" : "three days' journey = journey of three days"

I can say:
a) "It's a five kilometres' walk" or "It's a five-kilometre walk"
b) "There's a three weeks' delay" or "There is a three-week delay"

And each pair means the same, right?

[svartnik]

Originally Posted by hela

OK, let me recap. According to what you've told me and according to "owl" : "three days' journey = journey of three days"

I can say:
a) "It's a five kilometres' walk" or "It's a five-kilometre walk"
b) "There's a three weeks' delay" or "There is a three-week delay"

And each pair means the same, right?

Yes

[Humble]

Originally Posted by hela

Dear teachers,

Can I use the indefinite article with the genitive? Is it correct to say: "It's A five kilometres' walk" ? No, that's wrong. five kilometres' walk or five-kilometre walk

What's the difference between : "It's a five kilometres' walk" (genitive) wrong; and

"It's a five-kilometre walk" (compound noun) ? right

What should I say:

a) "There is two weeks delay" ; (with or without an apostrophe after "weeks" ?) two weeks'

b) "There is a two weeks delay" ; (with or without an apostrophe after "weeks" ?) wrong

c) "There is a two-week delay" ? right

Would you please give me a sentence with the phrase above?

Many thanks,
Hela

Hi, Hela,
I'm going to have a two-week holiday.= I'm going to have two weeks' holiday.
If you have the plural, you need an apostrophe and no article.

Regards.

[hela]

Good morning,

Would you say "I went for a three days' journey" or "I went for three days' journey"? Now if we can say neither in which types of sentences can I use the possessive with units of measurement? Would you please give me more examples?

All the best,
Hela

[Mister Micawber]

.
Huddleston & Pullum's CGEL (16.3) states that the measure genitive measures 'just temporal length or value', thus eliminating from consideration your 'five kilometer's walk' and leaving only:

It's a five-kilometre walk.

For the temporal cases, I would use:

There is a two-week delay in delivery.
There is/are two week's delay in delivery.

Cf: Three days' pay is/are owed you. There may be a conceptual choice between the multiple days/weeks and the single amount of money/delay, but I don't believe we would ever choose (X/?) 'A three days' pay is owed you'. I feel that the number greater than one is just too notionally discordant with the singular indefinite article. CGEL slyly avoids consideration of this case, however.
.

[MrPedantic]

Originally Posted by hela

Good morning,

Would you say "I went for a three days' journey" or "I went for three days' journey"? Now if we can say neither in which types of sentences can I use the possessive with units of measurement? Would you please give me more examples?

I would agree with MM:

1. ?It's a five miles' walk.
2. It's a five-mile walk.

I would find #1 a little strange too; but #2 is fine (though I would take it as "compound adjective + noun", rather than a compound noun).

3. I went on a three-day journey. [not "for"]
4. I went on a three days' journey.
5. *I went on three days' journey.

#3 is fine; #4 doesn't seem objectionable to me, though it might sound old-fashioned in some contexts. #5 doesn't seem to work; but

6. After three days' walking, I found myself in the rose-red city.

is fine.

All the best,

MrP

PS: Would you also find "a three weeks' bonus" odd, Mister M?

[Mister Micawber]

.

Would you also find "a three weeks' bonus" odd, Mister M?

Only when I think about it, MrP.

Interestingly, 'a further three weeks' bonus' rests easier with me.
.