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Anonymous Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Getting less
It has a population of 2000 people but every year its getting less.
This sentence came up in a text book but sounds strange to me. Any ideas? To me its getting less sounds unnatural - its getting smaller or its decreasing.
This sentence came up in a text book but sounds strange to me. Any ideas? To me its getting less sounds unnatural - its getting smaller or its decreasing.
Top answer
Learning English | BBC World Service | News about Britain Because, with young populations getting less here, they fear of decreasing in applicants for the school and are thinking of introducing both ***. It has a population of 2000 people but every year it's getting less.
- Learning English | BBC World Service | News about Britain Because, with young populations getting less here, they fear of decreasing in applicants for the school and are thinking of introducing both ***.
- It has a population of 2000 people but every year it's getting less.
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17 Answers
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Learning English | BBC World Service | News about Britain
Because, with young populations getting less here, they fear of decreasing in applicants for the school and are thinking of introducing both ***.It has a population of 2000 peopl
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That quote is ungrammatical.
The fact that it comes from a BBC English learning site does not mean it must be correct - this was a comment added by an English learner.
The fact that it comes from a BBC English learning site does not mean it must be correct - this was a comment added by an English learner.
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Hello Anon
1. It has a population of 2000 people but every year it's getting less.
The first "it" refers to something outside the sentence (a village, a prison, an ESL website – call it X), but the second "it" refers to "population".
However, there is a possible momentary confusion on the listener's/reader's part, if X is taken as the antecedent of the second "it" also.
1. It has a population of 2000 people but every year it's getting less.
The first "it" refers to something outside the sentence (a village, a prison, an ESL website – call it X), but the second "it" refers to "population".
However, there is a possible momentary confusion on the listener's/reader's part, if X is taken as the antecedent of the second "it" also.
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Does "getting less" work with "population"? It sounds so odd to me.
Every year it's decreasing, every year it's getting smaller, every year it shrinks. But "less" seems an odd pairing with "population."
Every year it's decreasing, every year it's getting smaller, every year it shrinks. But "less" seems an odd pairing with "population."
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I'm with you, GG. The use of "getting less" sounds really strange to me in this sentence. Although "getting smaller" definitely would be better, it's not just the use in connection with "population" that bothers me here. When "getting less" is used, the word "get" usually has a meaning similar to "receive" or is followed by additional words. I think that's what irritates me
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Grammar GeekDoes "getting less" work with "population"? It sounds so odd to me.It doesn't work.
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<When "getting less" is used, the word "get" usually has a meaning similar to "receive" or is followed by additional words. >
<- He's getting less and less enthusiastic about the idea.>
That's not the same as your other examples.
The meaning of "get" in getting less + adj. is "becoming" and is also common.
People are getting l
<- He's getting less and less enthusiastic about the idea.>
That's not the same as your other examples.
The meaning of "get" in getting less + adj. is "becoming" and is also common.
People are getting l
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