Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and if you’ve been listening to this podcast regularly, you know it’s been on hiatus for a while. Since March, to be exact. And in that time, grammar errors have been popping up like weeds. Well, I’m happy to report that we’re back to stomp them out.
This one is an oldie but a goodie. There’s an express checkout line at my home grocery store, and the sign says “10 items or less.” Again, those of you who’ve been listening for a while already know this is wrong. Because “items” is countable and comes in discrete quantities, it should be “fewer” items. “Less” is reserved for things that can’t be separated and individually counted, like “less water” or “less time.” (But “fewer water molecules” or “fewer hours.”)
Here’s a handy little sentence to help you remember the rule: “Less flour means fewer cakes.”
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.