Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct grammar?
A.
If any less people watch that television series, the effect will be its cancellation
B.
If any fewer people watch that television series, the effect will be its cancellation
C.
If any less people watch that television series, the affect will be its cancellation
D.
If any fewer people watch that television series, the affect will be its cancellation
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is B: “If any fewer people watch that television series, the effect will be its cancellation.”
Explanation:
- Grammar and Word Choice:
- Fewer vs. Less:
- “Fewer” is used for countable nouns, while “less” is used for uncountable nouns. “People” is a countable noun, so “fewer” is the correct choice. “Less” should not be used with countable nouns like “people.”
- Affect vs. Effect:
- “Affect” is a verb meaning to influence something. “Effect” is a noun referring to the result of an action. In this sentence, “effect” is correct because the sentence is discussing the result or consequence of fewer people watching the television series.
- Fewer vs. Less:
- Analyzing Each Option:
- Option A:
- “If any less people watch that television series, the effect will be its cancellation.”
- The use of “less” instead of “fewer” with “people” is grammatically incorrect. “Less” is not appropriate here as “people” is countable.
- Option B:
- “If any fewer people watch that television series, the effect will be its cancellation.”
- This is the correct sentence. It properly uses “fewer” with the countable noun “people” and correctly uses “effect” to describe the result.
- Option C:
- “If any less people watch that television series, the affect will be its cancellation.”
- This sentence contains two errors. First, “less” is incorrectly used with “people.” Second, “affect” is incorrectly used instead of “effect.”
- Option D:
- “If any fewer people watch that television series, the affect will be its cancellation.”
- While “fewer” is correctly used with “people,” “affect” is incorrectly used instead of “effect.”
- Option A:
In summary, Option B is correct because it adheres to proper grammar rules for countable nouns and the correct use of “effect” to describe the result.