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Business & Technical Writing/Three English expressions

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Expert: - 1/1/2005


Question
First of all, thank you for making yourself available to answer questions related to the English language.

My question is, "Are the following 3 short sentences all correct grammatically? Which ones would you use or not use and why?
1. I don't have enough time to play with my own kids, much less with someone else's.
2. I don't have enough time to play with my own kids, not to mention other kids.
3. I don't have enough time to play with my own kids, let alone someone else's. (or let alone others')

Answer
You're welcome. All three are correct grammatically, but the parenthetical material is less clear, I think.

I marginally prefer sentence 1 because it is a more conventional construction in conversational English. But it is not a strong preference.

Hope this helps.

Business & Technical Writing

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Dan Smith

Expertise

I have been a professional writer and editor for more than 30 years, taught speech and English composition at the university level, and have developed speech and English composition courses and seminars for businesses. I am experienced in editing a wide variety of materials, especially business, scientific, and other academic papers. I am familiar with all the major style guides.

Experience

I have edited any number of graduate papers and other technical materials in such advanced fields as clinical psychology, civil and electrical engineering, and semiconductor fabrication. I have extensive experience in working with non-native English speakers.

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