0
Soheil1 Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

Let alone

Hi.
Any difference between 'let alone' and 'not to mention' something?

Thanks in advance
  

Top answer

I'd say "let alone" is [usually] used in a negative sense -- for example to reinforce a statement about somebody's inability to do something by implying that the person would be even worse at doing something else: He can't ride a bike, let alone drive a car. Since it normally takes less skill to ride a bike than to drive a car, the speaker is assuming that the person involved would definitely be a bad driver. As for "not to mention", it can be used in a positive sense: The concert was simply amazing—not to mention all the fun we had chatting with the band backstage.

— Ozzourti

  • I'd say "let alone" is [usually] used in a negative sense -- for example to reinforce a statement about somebody's inability to do something by implying that the person would be even worse at doing something else: He can't ride a bike, let alone drive a car.
  • Since it normally takes less skill to ride a bike than to drive a car, the speaker is assuming that the person involved would definitely be a bad driver.
  • As for "not to mention", it can be used in a positive sense: The concert was simply amazing—not to mention all the fun we had chatting with the band backstage.
  • That's the main difference between the two in my opinion.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0
I'd say "let alone" is [usually] used in a negative sense -- for example to reinforce a statement about somebody's inability to do something by implying that the person would be even worse at doing something else:

He can't ride a bike, let alone drive a car.

Since it normally takes less skill to ride a bike than to drive a car, the speaker is assuming that the person invol
0

Related Questions