Employment costs rose 2.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in September,slightly less than they did in the year that ended in the previous quarter.
A) less than they did
B) less than it did
C) less than they were
D) lower than
E) lower than they were
I'm a lil' confused...isn't 'less' to be used when we have an uncountable item? In other words something which is close to 2.8 percent is countable right? Please help me in clarifying the usage of 'less'.
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optimisticsam
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I believe less is used when you have non-countable item.
As in "I was less happy with the result."
I think because they don't actually state how much less the unemployment was, there is nothing to count?
Correct?
As in "I was less happy with the result."
I think because they don't actually state how much less the unemployment was, there is nothing to count?
Correct?
IMO it should be "A"..bobs21 wrote:Employment costs rose 2.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in September,slightly less than they did in the year that ended in the previous quarter.
A) less than they did
B) less than it did
C) less than they were
D) lower than
E) lower than they were
I'm a lil' confused...isn't 'less' to be used when we have an uncountable item? In other words something which is close to 2.8 percent is countable right? Please help me in clarifying the usage of 'less'.
Less can be used to quote statistics... Read saahils notes for ore such exceptions..
To compare with Costs rose we need they ( for plural costs) did ....
Should be D, lower than is countable and so are employment numbers. And D is succinct compared with Ebobs21 wrote:Employment costs rose 2.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in September,slightly less than they did in the year that ended in the previous quarter.
A) less than they did
B) less than it did
C) less than they were
D) lower than
E) lower than they were
I'm a lil' confused...isn't 'less' to be used when we have an uncountable item? In other words something which is close to 2.8 percent is countable right? Please help me in clarifying the usage of 'less'.
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BTGmoderatorRO
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Option A.
'they' is a third person plural pronoun and it only attracts a group of people, animals, plants, or objects.So according to the above question 'they' would not fit not be fit for the best option. What the writer was referring to is neither a person, animal, plant or any object.Thus, this option is incorrect.
option B.
Here, there's a change of hand. From 'they' to 'it' which is the best what to illustrate a figure.Thus, this is the correct answer.
Option C.
It will be grammatically incorrect to pluralize a figure or numbers. Example: Four divided by two is two. Not Four divided by two are two.
Option D. lower than???? still talking about the issue of numbers here. 'less than' will be considered first before 'lower than'
This option is incorrect!!!
Option E.
This option suffers the same fate as option D above likewise, it also contains some errors which is the verb 'were' this is a plural past tense verb, and does not suits the writer's opinion.
'they' is a third person plural pronoun and it only attracts a group of people, animals, plants, or objects.So according to the above question 'they' would not fit not be fit for the best option. What the writer was referring to is neither a person, animal, plant or any object.Thus, this option is incorrect.
option B.
Here, there's a change of hand. From 'they' to 'it' which is the best what to illustrate a figure.Thus, this is the correct answer.
Option C.
It will be grammatically incorrect to pluralize a figure or numbers. Example: Four divided by two is two. Not Four divided by two are two.
Option D. lower than???? still talking about the issue of numbers here. 'less than' will be considered first before 'lower than'
This option is incorrect!!!
Option E.
This option suffers the same fate as option D above likewise, it also contains some errors which is the verb 'were' this is a plural past tense verb, and does not suits the writer's opinion.
