Resume writing about 'experience'

[SabrinaL]

Is it most correct to say that one has "two years of experience," two years experience," or "two years' experience?"  A google search on "two years experience" resulted in 3x the number of hits for "two years of experience," but most of the former appeared to be job requirements, while the latter were actual writers' credentials.  Perhaps they cut out extra words in job postings, but the longer form is more accurate?  (Google does not differentiate years or years'.)

[IndieSinger]

"Two years' experience". The experience is belonging to the years.

[Quizmonster]

"Two years of experience as a whatever" or "two years' experience as a whatever"...either is acceptable on the basis - as Indie says - that the experience effectively belongs to the years.

[Tweed]

I would say either, "Two years experience", or "Two years of experience" is correct. The years is clearly plural and not ownership, so years' is incorrect. Ownership is with I, or one, as in your question.

[Quizmonster]

But, Tweed, the word 'of' implies possession, which is precisely why the s-apostrophe...the marker of plural possession...version is correct and the apostrophe-less version is not. (You might say about two friendly dogs: "The dogs' tails were wagging.")

[davver]

Tweed, you're wrong, I'm afraid, and Quizmonster is correct, although his reasoning is slightly awry. In the phrase "two years of experience", the "two years of" is a quantitive - it refers to the amount of experience in the same way that "3 ounces of butter" refers to the amount of butter. However, in the phrase "two years' experience", we are talking about the experience of those two specific years: the genitive is being used for a possessive, rather than quantitive, effect. One would not say "3 ounces' butter", but one might say "a tree's apples" because the apples come from that specific tree and therefore belong to it.

Clear as mud, but there you go! Rule of thumb: use EITHER "of" OR an apostrophe, but not both or neither.

[Quizmonster]

Thanks for the support, Davver, but I don't agree that my reasoning is awry. (Surprise! Surprise!)

Sabrina, don't just take my, Indie's or Davver's word on this. Here's what Fowler's �Modern English Usage' - the authority on the use of English in all its editions for nearly a century - says about apostrophes...(quote)

"Some golden rules
An apostrophe is required...after a possessive s in the plural (the boys' gymnasium, the ladies' maids, in four days' time)."

The example to look at is "in four days' time", as we don't normally think of days "owning" things. However, the implication is perfectly clear...the time �belongs' to the days in exactly the same way as, in a resum�, the experience �belongs' to the years. Accordingly, you should use either �years of experience' or �years' experience', as already outlined.

If - as seems likely from your use of the word �resum�' - you are American, Sabrina...we tend to say 'CV'...here is a quote from James Kilpatrick of the �Chicago Sun-Times'...

"For the serious writer or even the fun-loving writer, Fowler's �Modern English Usage' is like an American Express card. We ought never to sit down at our typewriters without one."

End of story, whichever side of the Atlantic you are on.

[IndieSinger]

As others have said, I'm sure Tweed is wrong to say "Two years' experience" is incorrect. I'm not sure I understand what davver is getting at - s/he could be right but has lost me somewhat. I fully agree with Quizmonster.

In summary:

The room of the brother = The brother's room.
The room of the brothers = The brothers' room.

If there exists a specific plural change (i.e. one which is not formed by adding ~s, which I can't think of the proper name for, as in woman => women or child => children) then the apostrophe comes before the ~s.

The room of the woman = The woman's room.
The room of the women = The women's room.

Therefore:

Experience of two years = Two years' experience.

Quizmonster - do you know if there is any truth in the fact that this construction comes from the Old Germanic Dative Possessive form? I.e.:

The brother, his room [take out ", hi" and replace missing characters with an apostrophe].
The brothers, their room [take out ", their" and replace missing characters with an apostrophe].

[Quizmonster]

Re your query, Indie, I've always believed that the apostrophe has only one function...namely to mark elision. Its use as an indicator of possession is - as you suggest - simply another example of that.

Just as German has "Mannes Haus" for "man's house", English had something similar in the form of "man his house". The letter 'e' provided the same function...'the wytches cauldron' might refer to only one witch. In other words, the apostrophe always stands for missing letters.

I'm not sure about a connection with the "Old Germanic Dative Possessive" you mention, but some such connection certainly exists.

Click http://www.takeourword.com/TOW135/page2.html

and scroll down to the section headed "From Beth Hayes" for some interesting information on the matter. Cheers

[THECORBYLOON]

I would say "After years of experience....." or "After two years' experience,....." but never "After two years of experience,..." The final option doesn't sound right to me and I think I know what davver was getting at because in my mind there are circumstances when the "of" appears clumsy but it's hard to be prescriptive.

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