I am always in support of self-improvement and education. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes,the important part is learning from them.
Let us better ourselves.
Comment has been collapsed.
I mean it could of been worse...
see what I did there?
Comment has been collapsed.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Yeah, that's many, many worster.
Comment has been collapsed.
Yuuuuup! Honestly, reading something like that always hurts me a little. Grammar is one of those few things that I really do take seriously. And quite frankly, I don't think I could be friends with someone who doesn't care about it.
Comment has been collapsed.
:) This is actually a really common mistake people make.
Comment has been collapsed.
Which is exactly why I think it's great, that someone finally takes the time to make a post and explain it.
Comment has been collapsed.
But since they are countable, wouldn't it be correct to use "persons" instead of "people" (which seems a rather abstract word to describe a broad yet associated group, similar to word such as "audience") ?
Comment has been collapsed.
"Persons" isn't incorrect, but sounds extremely formal, so tends to be mostly limited to legal use, or other highly formal situations.
Comment has been collapsed.
Similarly with "many and much", huh? As in that correct would be: "I do not seem to have as many points as I used to have (since I spent them already and it turned out that giveaways keep on being made in not small amount)", instead of "...not as much points...", huh?
Comment has been collapsed.
but if you'd prefer to be correct, now you can be so.
Thanks so much. I, for one, really appreciate the grammar lesson. Here you, go, have a whitelist.
On a sidenote: perhaps people would stop complaining about having fewer (or less) points, when each complaint automatically cost them another 50P ? :-)
Comment has been collapsed.
You're very welcome :)
I was similarly pleased to learn my mistake when I first discovered the rule, and I was sure there'd be people here who would feel the same!
Comment has been collapsed.
i'm sorry, but the grammar police slot is already taken on steamgifts. you will need to find another profession!
Comment has been collapsed.
I'm off to drink 10 alcohols just to prove you wrong...
Comment has been collapsed.
So tempting to pretend that was my little intentional mistake :D
Can't believe nobody picked up on that until now! In the first sentence, of all places!
Thanks for letting me know :)
Comment has been collapsed.
i mean i dont care what a persons grammar is if they're sending me 50 moneys or 10 alcohols
Comment has been collapsed.
Comment has been collapsed.
Supposably, this effects everyone accept me because I always have access points.
Comment has been collapsed.
Felt remotely related:
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Comment has been collapsed.
Thank you. im always happy to improve. so same thing with much and many if i got you right?
Comment has been collapsed.
and i was happy to know the difference between "then" and "than"... :P
Comment has been collapsed.
I feel like this has plagued me forever but I think I finally got the handle on it :P
Comment has been collapsed.
My thought on "less or fewer"
In this case you can use "less".
Why?
Because you can't quantify how many points or GA entries are lost by the new system.
It is an unknown amount.
Some people would enter every GA available and if many new GAs were created they would get new points a lot faster.
Now there is a set limit to how many points you receive per day.
Also, intention becomes an issue concerning usage. Do I want to point out an exact amount or keep it general?
Edit: For instance:
I have 1 hour less at work to do my job which means 10 work-units less a day.
Or
I have less time to do my jobs.
Comment has been collapsed.
I actually find it to be quite awesome. Since I'm working most of the day, I now come back to 500P in the evening instead of just 300P.
Comment has been collapsed.
I just read your edit....and it has brought me such anguish to see you apologising to the people who felt offended by your post because WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO DID NOT FEEL OFFENDED BY YOUR POST?
NO APOLOGIES FOR US.
DO WE NOT HAVE FEELINGS?
WHY ARE WE EXCLUDED AND NOT GIVEN AN APOLOGY?
HOW COULD YOU?!?!/?!!?!?1?
Comment has been collapsed.
...because it has led to approximately infinite posts saying "Now I have less points, I can enter less giveaways!"
No, you don't, and no, you can't. You have fewer points. You can enter fewer giveaways.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not obsessed with grammar, and I don't think anyone is stupid for making the mistake - but the fact it's so common is a damning indictment of the western education system. It takes a matter of seconds to explain the rule, but most schools simply don't bother... And genuinely, this is one of the simplest grammar rules that exists. If you're native and don't know the difference, I guarantee that you almost already understand it, purely by instinct.
You'd never say you have "fewer money" than somebody, right? Or you drink "fewer alcohol" during the week compared to weekends?
That's because those are uncountable quantities. And that's the rule. Simple!
You don't have "50 moneys" or drink "10 alcohols", those are uncountable. So, you need to use less - you have less money, and drink less alcohol.
However, you might have 50 points, or enter 10 giveaways, those are countable. So, you need to use fewer - You have fewer points, and enter fewer giveaways.
And that's all there is to it! Easy.
If you don't care, that's just fine by me - but if you'd prefer to be correct, now you can be so.
And here's an obligatory gib.
EDIT: evidently some people feel I'm trying to attack them by making this post - that was never my intention, and I apologise to anyone who felt that way from reading the post above.
Comment has been collapsed.