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Vince Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary
Costs / cost
Hi,
I just wrote the following sentence:
The context is this:
[Name] has set up a website on which everyone can easily subscribe his/her website to a great number of search engines and portals. The first 10 are for free, but subscribing your website to more search engines can be done at low cost. You can request codes via your Wallet. The costs are 130 credits per code.
Could someone explain which one to use in both bold printed situations and why?
(As far as I know, 'cost' only refers to a total amount, but the question remaining is then 'when do I use costs?')
Cheers
Vince
I just wrote the following sentence:
But I'm doubting about whether to use costs or cost.
The costs are 130 credits per code
The context is this:
[Name] has set up a website on which everyone can easily subscribe his/her website to a great number of search engines and portals. The first 10 are for free, but subscribing your website to more search engines can be done at low cost. You can request codes via your Wallet. The costs are 130 credits per code.
Could someone explain which one to use in both bold printed situations and why?
(As far as I know, 'cost' only refers to a total amount, but the question remaining is then 'when do I use costs?')
Cheers
Vince
Top answer
You need to use costs only when they are clearly multiple, Vince: My travel costs include accommodation, meals and entertainmen t. My meal costs were $2 for breakfast, $4 for lunch and $18 for dinner. Your example should be singular: The cost is 130 credits per code.
- You need to use costs only when they are clearly multiple, Vince: My travel costs include accommodation, meals and entertainmen t.
- My meal costs were $2 for breakfast, $4 for lunch and $18 for dinner.
- Your example should be singular: The cost is 130 credits per code.
- Your at low cost is, I think, idiomatic; or perhaps it is a non-count form.
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3 Answers
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You need to use costs only when they are clearly multiple, Vince:
My travel costs include accommodation, meals and entertainment.
My meal costs were $2 for breakfast, $4 for lunch and $18 for dinner.
Your example should be singular: The cost is 130 credits per code.
Your at low cost is, I think, idiomatic; or perhaps it is a
My travel costs include accommodation, meals and entertainment.
My meal costs were $2 for breakfast, $4 for lunch and $18 for dinner.
Your example should be singular: The cost is 130 credits per code.
Your at low cost is, I think, idiomatic; or perhaps it is a
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Mister MicawberYou need to use costs only when they are clearly multiple, Vince:
My travel costs include accommodation, meals and entertainment.
My meal costs were $2 for breakfast, $4 for lunch and $18 for dinner.
Your example should be singular: The cost is 130 credits per code.
Your at low cost i
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Yes: the costs are 130 credits for 1 code and 200 credits for 2 codes.
if at low cost is idiomatic, would at low costs always be wrong? Or are there exceptions (this is a language, so why not?)Very perceptive of you, and true indeed: it is usually not a matter of which is right and which is wrong, but rather which is commonly used and which see
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