1
   

It's a two and a half hours/hour's walk.

 
 
Reply Tue 20 Mar, 2012 10:23 am
It's a two and a half hours walk.
It's a two and a half hours' walk.

Which is the correct sentence? Thanks.
 
Region Philbis
 
  4  
Reply Tue 20 Mar, 2012 10:42 am
@tanguatlay,

neither...

It's a two and a half hour walk.

It takes two and a half hours to walk there.
Joe Nation
 
  3  
Reply Tue 20 Mar, 2012 11:01 am
@Region Philbis,
Region is correct.
But.
You do hear some Americans (Texans and Oklahomans and others) say "two and a half hours walk."

It's a regionalism. (No pun intended)

No apostrophe in any case.

Joe(This ranch-house is so big, it's a two days ride to the kitchen.)Nation

tanguatlay
 
  1  
Reply Tue 20 Mar, 2012 11:59 am
@Joe Nation,
Thanks, Region and Joe.
McTag
 
  1  
Reply Tue 20 Mar, 2012 04:47 pm
@tanguatlay,

I disagree with the previous posters. British usage is a little different.

I would say two and a half hours walk, and I might write it with an apostrophe, thus:

To get there requires a two and a half hours' walk.

That is, a walk of two and a half hours. The apostrophe makes sense to me.

cf. a man's suit, the day's ending, the tasks' duration.
McTag
 
  1  
Reply Wed 21 Mar, 2012 01:11 am
@McTag,

a minutes's pause
a moment's reflection
0 Replies
 
MontereyJack
 
  1  
Reply Wed 21 Mar, 2012 01:42 am
I'm originally Midwestern, and I'd say two and a half hours. I'm not sure I'd use an apostrophe, because the hours don't possess the walk. It's essentially an adjective, like "a pleasant walk", except talking about the duration of it rather than the character of it. Thinking more about it, I might use either hour or hours and not overthink it.
McTag
 
  1  
Reply Wed 21 Mar, 2012 02:23 am
@MontereyJack,

Quote:
I'm not sure I'd use an apostrophe, because the hours don't possess the walk


The moment possesses the reflection?
0 Replies
 
MontereyJack
 
  1  
Reply Wed 21 Mar, 2012 02:38 am
Damned grabby moments, always trying to glom onto anything they see.
0 Replies
 
tanguatlay
 
  1  
Reply Wed 21 Mar, 2012 03:39 am
@McTag,
McTag wrote:


I disagree with the previous posters. British usage is a little different.

I would say two and a half hours walk, and I might write it with an apostrophe, thus:

To get there requires a two and a half hours' walk.

That is, a walk of two and a half hours. The apostrophe makes sense to me.

cf. a man's suit, the day's ending, the tasks' duration.
I agree with McTag.

Eg. The building will be complete in a year's time. An apostrophe is needed.
0 Replies
 
Joe Nation
 
  2  
Reply Wed 21 Mar, 2012 04:19 am
Then leave the 's' off.

"It will take a two and half hour walk to get there."

Which is what most Americans would say.
Otherwise, I agree with McTag.

Joe(It took only a moment's reflection.)Nation

McTag
 
  1  
Reply Wed 21 Mar, 2012 11:05 am
@Joe Nation,

Hooray.
0 Replies
 
 

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