Ok, so I'm a native English speaker and some non-natives have asked my help clarifying a particular phrase. The phrase is, "Receive $100 per friend you refer to (name of company)" for me it sounds somewhat awkward, but I don't know why or how to explain it. I would have gone with, "Receive $100 for every friend you refer to ___"
Can someone shed light on the issue or confirm that the original phrase is right?
Best Answer
I agree with your sense of what sounds better, but it isn't grammatical as much as it is about the connotations of "per".
Per and friend don't go well together. Per is usually followed by a neutral noun (per ticket, per showing, per person, per flight, per dozen), and the neutrality does not admit any sort of feeling. It is also associated with price and money, and the pecuniary sense jars with the notion of friendship.
It's almost comical, like a sign for a Justice of the Peace in Las Vegas that might read:
Weddings: $50 per Beloved