TV Has It Wrong
Language is a changing thing. The changes first happen in conversation and eventually they become accepted in written language as well. That’s what happened with that old rule Don’t finish a sentence with a preposition.
Power Hits prove that not everything you see in print, hear in a song, or watch on TV are correct.
In this case, two words the mass media can’t seem to get right are less and fewer. So let’s settle that matter once and for all.
Count and Noncount Nouns
You probably learned that a noun is a person, place, or thing, But I’m guessing that count and noncount nouns might be new terms to you. They’re what you might expect them to be.
Things you can count: pencils, tables, trees, and computers are all count nouns.
Things that you can’t count: coffee, sky, love, and values are noncount nows.
The correct use is:
I have more or fewer count nouns.
I have more pencils. I have fewer pencils.
I have more or less noncount nouns.
I have more coffee. I have less coffee.
So that the beer commercial should say
More taste, fewer calories.
Guess the ad agency didn’t have a copyeditor.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Yes! That has always bugged me… along with the there, their, they’re and your, you’re issues. Make a mistake with those and it changes your whole meaning.
Hi Rete,
This is one that only until recently wasn’t highlighted well enough in American schools. It’s out there now. Hopefully that will help. 🙂
Good for you, Liz. We need (heh) more of this.
So, I recommend to all this book:
The Dictionary of Disagreeable English by Robert Hartwell Fiske. If you care about writing with precision and correctness, this one should be on your shelf…. and consulted often.
Thank you Scorpia.
We love recommendations that make us all well equipped to face the language dragons. 🙂
Liz, recommendations are good, but acting on them is better. So let me know what you think of the book when you get it 😉
Thanks, Scorpia. I will with my next Amazon order. ‘)
I am always looking for books on writing. I may order the book by Mr. Fiske. I saw on Amazon he recommends a website at http://www.vocabula.com/ .
With beer drinkers after the first few grammatical errors they pretty much all sound alike.
HI Roy!
I wuold guess that beer drinkers write by ear. 🙂
If they write by ear, does that mean they drink by nose? 😉
As I recall, the vocabula site is run by Mr. Fiske, which could be why he recommends it. Heh.
Hey, Scorpia,
As we know in the freelance world, there’s nothing wrong with self-promotion. 🙂
Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!! This bugs me to no end as well. What about that rule is so dang complex that people are incapable of understanding it? And don’t even get me started on the other grammar mistakes I see everywhere.
Okay. Mini-rant over. 🙂
Hi Caryn,
You’re welcome. 32 welcomes. I really think that this one is one that has never been explained to most people. Count and noncount nouns is a realitvely new terminology as far as I know in American textbooks and so maybe folks just had nothing to hang it on.
Who can explain it. Email me the other ones you want me to make a post about. I’ll be glad to set them out here. I know a few, but maybe not all of the ones that you see.