Nothing is ‘for free’

Fear not, this isn’t some comment on the absence or otherwise of altruism today. It’s a very practical piece of advice: don’t use the term for free.

Why? Because grammatically it makes no sense.

Free is an adjective. It is a word used to describe a thing (a noun). Simple is an adjective, silver is another, as are easy, rich and poor. You wouldn’t say for simple or for easy (you would say for simplicity or for ease). That’s because as phrases in their own right they simply don’t make sense. Nor does for free.

What you need to use is a noun. For example, nothing is a noun, as are gifts, services and offers. So say for nothing, or just free gift.

Not only will it distinguish you from the crowd, you are far more likely to win over potential customers like me.