PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGA ZINE OF ILTA 68
We create a good impression when we
write well and use grammar correctly,
and we create a bad impression when
we don't. The real damage lies not in the
miscommunication — the reader still
might understand — but in the
impression it gives our reader. The
following five word pairs confound many
writers; to help you create the good
impression, we want you to know the
difference. We recommend you distribute
this article to others on your team.
LESS/FEWER
The Story:
Ford Motor Company tells us that driving
a new Ford Escape "means less trips to the
gas station." Focus groups have convinced
Ford they don't want to look too smart.
Ford. Go figure.
The Rule:
Fewer refers to things we can count, like
meetings or software updates.
Less refers to the measurement of
something we cannot count, like
productivity or quality.
A Tip:
Although Ford does it, never dumb-down
your writing to appear to be just one of
the ordinary folk. Take the high road.
We are often "divided by our common language" and
far more frequently confused by our common language.
Some of the culprits boggling our minds are those pesky
word pairs like "less/fewer," where the concepts are similar,
but the details distinguish your mastery of their meanings.
Gary sets us straight on some common word pairs, and
we present his lesson information in two installments. The
first part happens now.
If you have questions regarding grammar, usage,
style or any component of writing, please visit my blog at
http://connect.iltanet.org/blogs/randi.mayes and post a
comment. Gary and I will respond, and we'll build a nice
collection of tidbits over time.
IMPRESS YOUR
COLLEAGUES WITH
YOUR MASTERY OF
WORD PAIRS
PART I
(Part II will appear in the
next issue of Peer to Peer)
