use of 'let alone'

[learning101]

Hi all,
I just want to know if I have used the phrase correctly:
"The subject is irrelevant and none of the values taught are practised in life let alone the time spent by students in preparing the folio."

What I want to say is not only the values taught are irrelevant, what is equally bad is the amount of times students waste preparing the folio.
If my word choice is incorrect can you please suggest another word/ phrase.

By the way dear administrator, I am always prompted to re-entry the site again after I finish editing my question. It is annoying because I'll have to retype again. Is it me who is having this problem or are there others facing the same problem as me? Do you have solution how I can use the site smoothly?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hi all,
I just want to know if I have used the phrase correctly:
"The subject is irrelevant, and none of the values taught are practised in life, so it wastes the time spent by students in preparing the folio."

What I want to say is not only the values taught are irrelevant, what is equally bad is the amount of times students waste preparing the folio.
If my word choice is incorrect can you please suggest another word/ phrase.

By the way, dear administrator, I am always prompted to re-enter the site again after I finish editing my question. It is annoying because I'll have to retype again. Is it me who is having this problem, or are there others facing the same problem as I am? Do you have a solution for how I can use the site smoothly?

We use let alone to connect parallel phrases, which yours were not. Better:

- The subject is irrelevant. None of its values are practiced in day-to-day life, let alone in the classroom.
- The subject is irrelevant, since its values don't reflect real life, let alone life on campus, where we're too busy to waste time preparing meaningless folios.

 

[jutfrank]

I just want to know if I have used the phrase correctly

No, you haven't.

 

[learning101]

But the word ‘so’ does not quite justify what I want it to mean as ‘what is equally bad is’.

 

[GoesStation]

The subject is irrelevant and none of the values taught are practised in life let alone the time spent by students in preparing the folio.

But the word ‘so’ does not quite justify what I want it to mean as ‘what is equally bad is’.

The problem is that the part of the sentence after "let alone" is a non sequitur; you mention the students' use of time without connecting it to the previous thought or telling us what's wrong with it. Is this what you're trying to say?

The subject is irrelevant and none of the values taught are practised in life. Moreover, the time spent by students in preparing the folio is entirely wasted.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

But the word ‘so’ does not quite express what I want it to mean as ‘what is equally bad is’.

Oh! Now I see the problem.

The phrase let alone does not mean what is equally bad is.

We use let alone to compare lesser with greater, fewer with more, or easier with harder.

- I can't walk, let alone run.
- I can't talk, let alone sing.
- I can't spell, let alone write.
- She wouldn't eat one apple, let alone ten.
- None of the values are practiced in the class, let alone in the world.

Another phrase we use the same way is much less.