[Grammar] much less

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ashiuhto

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
Are the following sentences acceptable?


1. It's a common sense which even a kid knows the answer to the question, much less a junior high student should know the answer.

2. It's a common sense which even a kid knows the answer, much less a junior high student.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Are the following sentences acceptable?


1. It's a common sense which even a kid knows the answer to the question, much less a junior high student should know the answer.

2. It's a common sense which even a kid knows the answer, much less a junior high student.

No. Neither of them works. "Common sense" doesn't fit (no article required by the way). "Much less" usually goes with a negative.

I'm not even overweight, much less obese.
 

Ashiuhto

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
1. It's a general sense which even a kid know the answer to the question, let alone a junior high student should know the answer.
2. It's a general sense which even a kid knows the answer, let alone a junior high student.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I'm not sure what you meant by common sense or general sense. Do you mean "general knowledge"? You don't "know the answer" to general knowledge. You know the answer to a question, or you just know some general knowledge.

That's general knowledge that even a little kid would know!
The answer to that question is something that even a kid would know.

The use of "let alone" also usually goes with a negative.

I wouldn't eat one apple, let alone a whole bag of them!
A junior high school student wouldn't know the answer to that question, let alone a little kid.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top