Is 10 items or less grammatically correct?

Current usage Many supermarket checkout line signs, for instance,will read "10 items or less"; others, however, will usefewer in an attempt to conform to prescriptivegrammar. However, descriptive grammarians consider this tobe a case of hypercorrection as explained in Pocket Fowler's ModernEnglish Usage.

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Consequently, is 10 items or less grammatically incorrect?

10 items or less” is notcorrect! If you walk into any grocery store in the UnitedStates, and you will see a sign that says “10 items orless” for the fast checkout lanes. This is wrong– it should be “10 items or fewer” because“items” is a countable noun.

Subsequently, question is, how do you use the word less? According to usage rules, fewer is only to be used whendiscussing countable things, while less is used for singularmass nouns. For example, you can have fewer ingredients, dollars,people, or puppies, but less salt, money, honesty, or love.If you can count it, go for fewer. If you can't, opt forless.

Similarly, it is asked, is 12 items or less grammatically correct?

Technically, you're supposed to use "fewer" withcountable things like "items" and "less" withuncountable things like collective nouns. A lot of peopledon't make that distinction anymore, but it actually is morecorrect to do so. "Twelve items or fewer" isgrammatically correct in every dialect ofEnglish.

Is it one less or one fewer?

A. If the countable noun is plural, choose fewer;if it's singular, choose less. When it says to reserveless for mass nouns, it means singular mass nouns.)One is always singular: there is one less food groupin the new pyramid; there is one less number in thiscolumn.

Related Question Answers

Is lesser grammatically correct?

It would have to either be "less than" or"lesser" only. You would say less than or thelesser of. Not lesser than. However, it largelydepends on the sentence in which you're using your particularexample, as it may be that using 'fewer than' instead of'less than' is correct.

Is there a word lesser?

1) is used as an adjective; 2) is used as an adjectivein the original / positive form (not comparative or superlative).the word less is derived from the comparative, but it is notused comparatively in this sentence. In "the lesser of thetwo evils, " less could work, but lesser is morecommon in this sense.

Is less good grammatically correct?

Instead of "more good," we use "better." Don'tuse "less good" if you are using good as anadjective. Its negative comparative form is "worse". If you areusing good as the noun, however, you could say "he didless good than he could have last night."

Is supermarket a countable noun?

But in Longman DIctionary, "supermarket" is acountable noun only.

How do you use less and more?

"Less" and "fewer" are both adjectivesthat modify nouns, but they have different uses. The basicrule to remember: Use less when describing singular nouns;use fewer when describing plural nouns.

Can I vs May I?

But the 'permission' use of can is not in factincorrect in standard English. The only difference between the twoverbs is that one is more polite than the other. In informalcontexts it's perfectly acceptable to use can; in formalsituations it would be better to use may.

Is the word less an adjective?

-less. an adjective suffix meaning“without” (childless; peerless), and inadjectives derived from verbs, indicating failure orinability to perform or be performed (resistless;tireless).

What is the verb of less?

-less. an adjective suffix meaning“without” (childless; peerless), and in adjectivesderived from verbs, indicating failure or inability toperform or be performed (resistless; tireless).

Is more an adverb?

When "more" is used before adjective oradverb as "inconvenient" in your example, it is anadverb whose primary function is to modify the followingword. However, when it is used before a noun (or sometimes after anoun), it is used as a determiner or adjective. For example: I needmore money.

What is the difference between less and lesser?

Less refers to quantity, lesser refers toquality. Your sentence could be rephrased as "substituteless punishment for more punishment." Here we are sayingthat the amount of punishment is smaller. But if you say"substitute the lesser punishment" you are saying the typeof punishment is not as severe.

Is fewer singular or plural?

Thus, in a word, use less when you cannot countthe noun modified. Use less with singular nouns;fewer, with plural nouns. But if you're using aplural noun to measure a chunk or amount of money or time,then you should use less (less than five years,less than 2,500 dollars).

What does the suffix ful mean?

Use -ful in a sentence. suffix. Fulis defined as full of or having a quantity that would fillsomething named. An example of ful is plentiful,meaning full of plenty. An example of ful is acupful, meaning the quantity that would fill acup.

How do you know whether to use more or most in a comparison?

More and Most
  • More is the comparative form of much and many. It indicates agreater amount or number than that is indicated by much ormany.
  • More of.
  • More can mean 'again'.
  • More or less means about.
  • Be no more means be dead.
  • Most.
  • Most is the superlative form of many and much. It indicates thegreatest in number, quantity etc.
  • Most of.

Do you use less or fewer with percentages?

Thus, if the percentage turns out to becountable, then one gets a countable quantity. When referring to agroup of people, this is usually the case. Therefore, in yourexample sentence, the absolutely correct choice would be"fewer": Fewer than 10.7% of the people werehappy.

Is less used for countable nouns?

We use less with uncountable nouns. (Notethat pennies, and pounds are countable but that thenoun money is not; we cannot say one money, two money and soon.) She has less beauty than her sister but moreintelligence.

What do you mean by fewer?

fewer trains were late” Synonyms:few. a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and isoften preceded by `a'; a small but indefinite number. less.(comparative of `little' usually used with mass nouns) a quantifiermeaning not as great in amount or degree.

What does no fewer mean?

Definition of no fewer than : at least —used to suggest that a number oramount is surprisingly large No fewer than 1,000 peopleattended the meeting.No fewer than 80 percent of registeredvoters turned out for the primary.

What does fewer than mean in math?

The words “fewer than” are specialmath words that give us a hint about what we need todo in order to get the right answer. Fewer than meansthe same as less than or a smaller number. We knowthat the second student has fewer rocks than thefirst, so that tells us that we need to subtract.

What is the difference who and whom?

The difference between who and whom isexactly the same as the difference between I and me, he andhim, she and her, etc. Who, like I, he, and she, is a subject– it is the person performing the action of the verb.Whom, like me, him, and her, is an object – it is theperson to/about/for whom the action is beingdone.

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