Meaning & use
years' worth
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
an amount of something that is enough to last for a specified number of years.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase: years' worth of something. The apostrophe comes after the s because it refers to multiple years.
Patterns
- years' worth of something
- a years' worth of something
She has a years' worth of experience in teaching.
The company stored a years' worth of supplies in the warehouse.
He bought a years' worth of coffee to save money.
phrasefixed phrase
the value or amount equal to what is produced or earned in a number of years.
Grammar: Often used with numbers: two years' worth, five years' worth, etc.
Patterns
- two years' worth of something
- five years' worth of something
The painting is worth three years' worth of his salary.
She saved two years' worth of rent in advance.
They collected ten years' worth of data for the study.
Common combinations
- a years' worth of
- He has a years' worth of vacation days saved up.
- two years' worth
- The project took two years' worth of planning.
- years' worth of experience
- She brought years' worth of experience to the team.
- years' worth of work
- All that effort was years' worth of work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- annual supply
- Refers to enough for one year, not multiple years; less specific about duration.
Commonly confused: years' worth or year's worth?
years' worth vs year's worth
Refers to one year only (apostrophe before s). 'Years' worth' means more than one year.
Practice
Choose the correct phrase: 'She has _____ of experience in the field.'
Choose one answer.
'Years' worth' is correct because it refers to multiple years and requires an apostrophe after the s. 'Year's worth' would mean only one year, and 'years worth' lacks the necessary apostrophe.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “years' worth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.