The cost was low or the cost was inexpensive

I found this sentence in the New York Times "Copy Edit" quiz #15:

"Initially, the cost of playing the game was inexpensive."

According to Philip Corbett (the NYT editor who runs the blog column), it is incorrect (according to their style guide) to say "cost is inexpensive". The game can be inexpensive or playing the game can be inexpensive but not the cost. Instead, the writer should have said something like:

Initially, the cost of playing the game was low.

I have googled trying to find a rule on this but so far I haven't found anyone who has noted that something like that is a problem.

What are the thoughts of scholars here? Is it incorrect to use "cost" and "inexpensive" together?

1/27/2110:42 PM

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Gary C123Member

My guess is that it's redundant, perhaps like saying "the cost was low-cost," maybe?

1/27/2110:43 PM

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Gustavo, Co-ModeratorProfessor of Legal and Financial Translation

Hi, Gary C123,

I agree that "cost" does not collocate with "expensive" and "inexpensive." Goods and services can be expensive or inexpensive; costs, just like prices, can be high or low.

Let's check what the collocations dictionary tells us about how to use both words:

Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English, 2nd edition

expensive adj.

Expensive is used with these nouns: boutique , champagne , cigar , clothes , coffee , commodity , cosmetic , cut , delicacy , end , equipment , exercise , fare , flop , gadget , gift , habit , hobby , hotel , house , import , item , jewellery , lifestyle , litigation , luxury , mistake , option , perfume , proposition , purchase , repair , restaurant , shop , suit , taste , toy , undertaking , venture , version , waste , wine

cost noun

1 money needed to buy sth

adjective

considerable , high

The high ~ of energy was a problem for consumers.

enormous , exorbitant , huge , prohibitive

The ~ of repairs would be prohibitive.

low , minimal

escalating , increasing , rising , soaring , spiralling/spiraling

basic

full , overall , total

You will have to bear the full ~ of the work.

added , additional , extra

She was unwilling to pay the extra ~ to get a room to herself.

associated

hidden

average

A total of 3.6 million tickets at an average ~ of $58 are available.

gross , net

budgeted , estimated , projected

likely , potential

real , true

annual , monthly , etc.

replacement

What is the current replacement ~ of these assets?

marginal ( business )

Competition will drive the price down near to the marginal ~ ( = the cost of the work and materials to produce the product ) .

per - unit , unit (= the cost of producing one item) ( business )

initial , upfront

capital , start-up ( both business )

The capital ~ of these projects ( = what it costs to set them up ) is some $100 million.

direct , indirect

2 costs money needed to run a business, home, etc.

adjective

considerable , enormous , great , high , huge

low

escalating , increasing , rising , soaring , spiralling/spiraling

We have had to raise our prices because of rising ~s.

administration , administrative , borrowing , construction , development , fuel , labour/labor , maintenance , manufacturing , production , research

research and development ~s

operating , running

shipping , transport ( esp. BrE ) , transportation ( esp. AmE ) , travel

health-care , medical

fixed , variable ( business )

Fixed ~s include rent.

out-of-pocket

overhead

3 effort/ loss / damage to achieve sth

adjective

considerable , enormous , great , heavy , huge

They advanced a few hundred yards, but at a heavy ~ in life.

dreadful , terrible

the terrible ~ of the war in death and suffering

real , true

environmental , financial , human , personal , political , social

the environmental ~ of nuclear power

4 costs in a court case

adjective

court ( AmE ) , legal

administrative

1/28/217:12 AM

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Gary C123Member

Hmm. I seem to recall seeing the word "expensive" used with "price" such as "it was an inexpensive price," though I recall seldom seeing it used AFTER the word price. But that could be something colloquial. The NYT is pretty strict with their style guide so perhaps it's more of a formal English thing?

1/28/217:29 AM

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Gustavo, Co-ModeratorProfessor of Legal and Financial Translation

In my view, the restriction has to do with the meaning of "expensive":

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary:

Definition of expensive

1: involving high cost or sacrifice an expensive hobby
2a: commanding a high price and especially one that is not based on intrinsic worth or is beyond a prospective buyer's means
b: characterized by high prices expensive shops

Speaking about "expensive prices" would be like saying "prices with a high price." I agree, however, that colloquially one can hear "expensive/cheap price(s)." The collocations dictionary also does not recommend the use of the adjective "expensive" with the noun "price":

Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English, 2nd edition

price noun

adjective

exorbitant , high , inflated , prohibitive , steep

They charge exorbitant ~s for their goods.

The ~ of fuel is prohibitive.

rising , soaring

falling

cheap , low

bargain , budget , discounted , knock-down ( BrE ) , reduced , rock-bottom

designer clothes at bargain ~s

affordable , attractive , competitive , decent , fair , reasonable , right

We sell quality tools at the right ~.

good

I managed to get a good ~ for my old car.

average

asking , purchase

What's the asking ~ for this house?

You need to pay a deposit of 10% of the purchase ~ of the property.

recommended ( esp. BrE ) , suggested ( esp. AmE )

The suggested retail ~ of the DVD is $19.99.

retail , sale , sales , selling

wholesale

cost ( esp. BrE )

They are selling off summer shoes at cost ~.

base ( esp. AmE )

The car has a base ~ of $28 640.

full , half

Children travel half ~ until age ten.

fixed

They sell cars at fixed ~s, with no haggling.

market

This website tells you the market ~ of all makes of second-hand car.

admission , ticket

admission ~s at the museum

consumer

bond , commodity , gold , share ( esp. BrE ) , stock ( esp. AmE )

food

house , housing ( esp. AmE ) , land , property ( esp. BrE ) , real estate ( esp. AmE )

electricity , energy , fuel , gas , gasoline ( AmE ) , oil , petrol ( BrE )

1/28/218:45 AM

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