Does Two Weeks Vacation Have an Apostrophe?

By Michael Ferguson

Introduction

When it comes to writing, punctuation is essential. A tiny mistake can change the meaning of a sentence entirely.

One such confusion that often arises is whether to use an apostrophe in phrases like ‘two weeks vacation’ or ‘three days notice.’ In this article, we will explore whether ‘two weeks vacation’ has an apostrophe or not.

The Rule

The rule regarding apostrophes in phrases like ‘two weeks vacation’ or ‘three days notice’ is simple. We do not use apostrophes with these types of phrases.

The reason for this is that they are not possessive. The apostrophe is used only for possessive nouns or contractions.

Examples of Possessive Nouns:

  • Sarah’s car
  • The dog’s tail
  • The teacher’s book

Examples of Contractions:

  • We’re going to the beach.
  • I can’t believe it.
  • They’d already finished their work.

Exceptions to the Rule

There are some exceptions to this rule, and that is when the phrase is being used as a title.

In titles, we use title case, which means that the first letter of every word should be capitalized except for articles (a, an, the), prepositions (in, on, at), and conjunctions (and, but, or).

Title Case Examples:

  • Two Weeks Notice
  • Fifty Shades of Grey
  • A Brief History of Time

Notice that the words ‘weeks’ and ‘notice’ in the titles are capitalized, which is not the case in regular phrases.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we do not use an apostrophe with phrases like ‘two weeks vacation’ or ‘three days notice.’ They are not possessive, and the apostrophe is only used for possessive nouns or contractions.

However, when using these phrases as titles, we capitalize every word except articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Remembering this rule will help you avoid common punctuation mistakes and make your writing clearer.