Why is 10 items or less grammatically incorrect?

Why is ’10 items or less’ grammatically incorrect? It is because “items” are countable, and therefore require the use of “fewer,” not “less.” It should be “10 items or fewer.”

Is it 10 or less or 10 or fewer?

Since the reign of Alfred the Great, a time when Old English was spoken, less has been used in the same way that fewer is currently used. This long history of usage accounts for supermarkets posting the words “10 Items or Less” over the express lanes, when “10 Items or Fewer” is the grammatically correct option.

Is 12 items or less grammatically correct?

“12 items or fewer” is correct/standard and “12 items or less” is incorrect/non-standard though common. It sounds common to me too. Less should only be used for non-countable nouns, so “less water”, “less time” but “fewer apples” and “fewer people”. “a glass of water or less” would be correct.

What is the rule for using less and fewer?

‘Fewer’ and ‘Less’ Generally, fewer is used when the number of things is counted (“fewer problems”) whereas less is used when the number is measured (“less trouble” or “less time”).

What is the difference between less and lesser?

2 Answers. Less refers to quantity, lesser refers to quality. Your sentence could be rephrased as “substitute less punishment for more punishment.” Here we are saying that the amount of punishment is smaller. But if you say “substitute the lesser punishment” you are saying the type of punishment is not as severe.

Do you say one less or one fewer?

That means either “one member fewer” or “one fewer member” is correct. However, it’s important to note that in casual, everyday English, many people will use “less” in this case.

How do you use less grammar?

Less means a smaller amount or “not as much” and is used when describing singular or uncountable nouns. Fewer is defined as not as much and is used when describing plural or countable nouns.

What is the difference between less than and fewer than?

Summary: 1. “Less than” is used for quantities which cannot be counted, for example, “The employment rate in 2009 was less than it was in 2010.” Whereas “fewer than” is used for quantities which can be counted. For example, “Her shopping basket has fewer items than her friend’s shopping basket.”

Is the phrase one less complaint correct?

One Less Complaint Using the “singular or plural” rule also explains another “exception.” People often think phrases such as “one less banana” are wrong because you can count bananas, but “one less banana” is correct because it is singular and you use “less” with singular nouns.

How do you use less or lesser?

When can we use less than?

You use less than to say that something does not have a particular quality. For example, if you describe something as less than perfect, you mean that it is not perfect at all. Her greeting was less than enthusiastic. Her advice has frequently been less than wholly helpful.

Is saying less people grammatically correct?

The correct usage is “fewer people” because we are talking about a group of discrete entities — a set of things that can be counted. “Less,” by contrast,is correct for dealing with more general amounts.

Is the phrase ’10 items or less’ grammatically wrong?

No. The phrase “10 items or less ” is grammatically wrong wrong, WRONG! “Less” can only offer non-countable comparisons, as in “This tank holds less than that one,” or “That old dude has less on his plate than she does.” The countable comparator is “fewer.” This tank holds fewer gallons than that one.

Is “10 items or less” correct?

In short, “10 items or less” is 100\% grammatically correct, but “10 items or fewer” is generally preferred in North America. British people who don’t understand this have, in the last couple of decades, started insisting that “10 items or less” is wrong, prompting some supermarkets to change their signage to “not more than 10 items.”

Is “10 items or less” a countable noun?

If you walk into any grocery store in the United States, and you will see a sign that says “10 items or less” for the fast checkout lanes. This is wrong – it should be “10 items or fewer” because “items” is a countable noun. This goes to show you that even native English speakers sometimes break the rules of English grammar!

What are the most common errors in writing?

Changing tense within a sentence is a common writing error. If a sentence starts in the present tense, it should not change to the past tense. He starts the car and then accelerated away in a cloud of tire smoke. (Incorrect) He started the car and then accelerated away in a cloud of tire smoke. (Correct) Who said writing is easy? (Incorrect)