Learn English – The difference between per person and each person
grammaticalityword-usage
What's the difference between the two?
'It costs $50 per person'
'It costs $50 each person'
Best Answer
It costs $50 needs an adverbial modifier if any is considered appropriate.
It usually costs $50.
It costs $50 Thursdays.
It costs $50 a bottle.
Adverbs, and the rare adverbial objective (noun used adverbially), fit the bill.
More commonly, to-infinitive clauses and especially prepositional phrases will be used:
It costs $50 to get there.
It costs $50 on the tram.
It costs $50 for a bottle.
It costs $50 per person.
It costs $50 for each person.
But
*/?It costs $50 each person.
would probably not usually be considered acceptable; it would be an adverbial objective usage, with the preposition 'for' dropped from the prepositional phrase, and this often does not give an acceptable-sounding variant. (This particular example may sound more acceptable in the States than in the UK. 'It costs $50 a person' would however be quite acceptable.)
Though I would understand both in written and oral communication, I find the first to be pretty odd. I wouldn't ever use it, and strongly prefer the second, "according to".
Why is this so odd? I looked a bit in the OED at the use of "as per" (odd in itself for combining two prepositions). It was first used in 1869 as a "slang" form "as per usual" by itself. I did however come across an entry that has a similar meaning to what you're looking for here: "by".
By. 3. a. According to; as stated,
indicated, or directed by, as per
advice, per instructions, per invoice,
per ledger, etc. Usually preceded by
as.
This was used as early as 1446 and as late as 1989. The difference here, I think, has been touched on: this meaning implies some obligation or requirement. No other entries seem to come close, and this matches my own mental lexicon for "per" and "as per". It just doesn't fit in this situation.
(ĭn-fûr′mə-rē) n. pl. in·fir·ma·ries
A place for the care of the infirm, sick, or injured, especially a small hospital or dispensary in an institution.
Best Answer
It costs $50 needs an adverbial modifier if any is considered appropriate.
Adverbs, and the rare adverbial objective (noun used adverbially), fit the bill.
More commonly, to-infinitive clauses and especially prepositional phrases will be used:
But
would probably not usually be considered acceptable; it would be an adverbial objective usage, with the preposition 'for' dropped from the prepositional phrase, and this often does not give an acceptable-sounding variant. (This particular example may sound more acceptable in the States than in the UK. 'It costs $50 a person' would however be quite acceptable.)