grammaticality - Is the phrase "for free" correct? - English Language . . .
Because free by itself can function as an adverb in the sense "at no cost," some critics reject the phrase for free. A phrase such as for nothing, at no cost, or a similar substitute will often work better. Yet while its true that for free is a casualism and a severely overworked ad cliche, the expression is far too common to be called an . . .
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