Possessives

[Nita B]

I work for a marketing agency and a client offers insurance services to the all of the UK's armed forces.

Their main strapline reads:
The Forces Insurance service

As a possessive, I beleive it should read:
The Forces' Insurance service

Could you please confirm this for me before I print off loads of leaflets with bad grammar?

Thanks, Nita.

[Casiopea]

No apostrophe -s.

Ex: The Forces Insurance Service (i.e., insurance for the Forces)

You need to check with your client!

All the best.

[Nita B]

Thanks for your reply.
I am actually checking this for my client - as they don't know themselves...
We still have confusion here - are you sure it doesn't need the apostrophe after the "s" ? - it is a possessive - ie the insurance belongs to the forces...

The word forces is a plural - it encompassess three force groups.

Would it be required in the sentence below:

The forces' insurance services are very complicated.

Thanks, Nita B.

[Anglika]

As this is insurance services for the forces, "forces" is not possessive, so no apostrophe is required.

If the insurance services were provided by the forces, you would require an apostrophe

[Nita B]

Thanks - that does make it clearer. We were reading it in the context of a possessive hence the confusion.

Any chance you could clarify one more possessive?

In the statement: over 35 years' experience in the vending machine industry.
Do we require the apostrophe?

Look forward to hearing from you,
Nita B.

[Casiopea]

Here's the short answer. It varies. Some say use the apostrophe, some say it's outdated. When in doubt, use what's known: over 35 years' experience. You can't go wrong.

All the best.

From Possessive Forms

For expressions of time and measurement, the possessive is shown with an apostrophe -s: "one dollar's worth," "two dollars' worth," "a hard day's night," "two years' experience," "an evening's entertainment," and "two weeks' notice" (the title of the Hollywood movie nothwithstanding).

[Nita B]

Thanks! I'm an old fashioned king of gal so I'll go with the traditional way and use the apostrophe!
Appreciate the help - you are all stars!
Kindest, Nita B.