Is it 10 items or less or 10 items or fewer?

“10 items or less” is not correct! 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 does 10 items or fewer mean?

Many supermarket checkout line signs, for instance, will read “10 items or less”; others, however, will use fewer in an attempt to conform to prescriptive grammar. A British supermarket chain replaced its “10 items or less” notices at checkouts with “up to 10 items” to avoid the issue.

What is the 10 items or less rule?

(It’s like the principle of common usage, but in reverse.) That’s a (sort of) reasonable stance, but I don’t think that accepting this rule rules out 10 items or less. Countability is gradient….“10 items or less” is just fine.

What is the rule for fewer and less?

There’s a commonly repeated rule about fewer and less. It goes like this: fewer is used to refer to number among things that are counted, as in “fewer choices” and “fewer problems”; less is used to refer to quantity or amount among things that are measured, as in “less time” and “less effort.”

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.

Why do people say less instead of fewer?

According to usage rules, fewer is only to be used when discussing countable things, while less is used for singular mass 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 for less.

Is more or less grammatically correct?

More or less means ‘mostly’, ‘nearly’ or ‘approximately’. We use it in mid position (between the subject and main verb, or after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after be as a main verb). It is slightly informal: We had more or less finished, so we decided to go for lunch.

What is the grammatically correct name for a grocery store checkout lane in which you can bring up to 15 items?

Some Kroger express lanes now say “about 15 items.” As in “approximately” or “an estimated.” By adding that one word, Kroger has significantly changed the politics of the express lane checkout.

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.

Is very less grammatically correct?

“Very less” is incorrect. “Very little” or “much less” would be possible alternatives. Some examples of how both phrases could be used: I paid very little for this jacket.

Where do we use more or less?

Which is grammatically correct 10 items or less?

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.”

What is the meaning of’ten items or less’?

“Less” refers to amounts that are weighed or measured. “Fewer” refers to amounts that come in discrete bits that you can COUNT. Since you can count ‘items’, that phrase ought to be ‘ten items or fewer’.

How many items are allowed in 10 items or less?

One can of beans, two jars of instant coffee, one bag of apples, three loaves of bread, one pack of butter and two bottles of beer. You have ten items, and you are allowed ten or fewer. There’s a spurious “rule” that “fewer” is for “countables” and “less” is for “uncountables.”

What is the difference between a countable and an uncountable noun?

An uncountable noun is a noun that cannot be pluralized. When we describe quantity for an uncountable noun, we use different phrasing than if we are talking about a countable noun, which is a noun that can be pluralized. When we describe a large quantity for an uncountable noun, we use the word “ much .”