grammar · neutral
let alone + NP / V-ing
Used after a negative to emphasize that something even more unlikely or impossible is true.
Examples
“He can't boil an egg, let alone cook a proper meal.”
“I don't have time to read newspapers, let alone write a report.”
“She couldn't pass the basic exam, let alone the advanced one.”
Band 8 sentence
“The project lacked the necessary funding, let alone the specialised staff required to run it successfully.”
Collocations
- let alone + verb-ing
- let alone + noun phrase
Common mistakes
He can't do it, and let alone do more.→He can't do it, let alone do more.
I don't have time to read, let alone to write report.→I don't have time to read, let alone write a report.
She can't swim, let alone she can dive.→She can't swim, let alone dive.
Say it for a higher band
5and→6not to mention→7+let alone
Synonyms
to say nothing of
Easily confused
to say nothing of
“He has no time for exercise, to say nothing of preparing meals.”
Related words
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In Complex sentences
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