on Feb 19, 2017, Updated Apr 10, 2023
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Welcome back for another 5 Minute Grammar Lesson! Today’s topic is could care less or couldn’t care less? Which is right? Does it really matter?! Do you honestly care?
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5 Minute Grammar Lesson – Could Care Less? or Couldn’t Care Less?
Could Care Less?
Technically, the term Could Care Less means you have a little bit of caring left to do. And that doesn’t really seem to be what most people mean when they use the phrase – I could care less. I could care less what he thinks of me. –> Well, technically that’s not quite right. You should use:
Couldn’t Care Less?
If you couldn’t care less, you really don’t care. And that’s often the intended meaning, right? I don’t care what he thinks of me. I really couldn’t care less whether or not she prefers snow or rain.
So if you really don’t care, always use COULDN’T CARE LESS. It’s technically the preferred choice. But I’d love to hear an instance were Could Care Less is acceptable too, so please let me know your ideas in the comments.
Want more grammar posts?
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And if you’re looking for helpful grammar resources, here are my top picks:
Grammarly – Instantly fix over 250 types of errors with this free web-based grammar checker!
Strunk & White Elements of Style
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
The Grammar Girl’s Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing
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Ha, I’m usually so dramatic about it when I say that like “I could NOT care less!” what you do, what you think, etc. I’ve never used “care less”, that would be careless, lol. Love the grammar lessons!