Permit / make free choicES

[Tamara]

Hi

Could you explain in what contexts/situations the plural form 'free choices' can be normally used?
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It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Yankee]

Hi Tamara

Interesting question.

"Free choice" is used to refer to a general concept (similar to "free will") or one single instance in which you have to choose between things.

Using "free choices" is simply looking at the ability or right to choose in terms of various instances.

One usage note: I'd say that you can collocate the verb "make" only with the countable version of "free choice" (and not with the uncountable version):

A computer cannot make free choices even though PC users may sometimes believe their PC has a will of its own.

Maybe somebody else will have some further ideas.

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Tamara]

Hi Amy

Any properly functioning computer shouldn’t be too self-willed.

[Yankee]

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A multiple choice test is a test where each question has multiple choices and the test-taker must try to make the correct choice for each.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Tamara]

Hi Amy,

Thank you.

Sorry my – perhaps stupid – morning question about your last sentence, but I'm a bit confused by the structure.
Which noun does the second each in your sentence refer to?

(From the meaning I suppose that it (also) refers to question, but shouldn’t it - grammatically, mechanically - be connected to the last noun (except the subject 'test-taker')?

'...to make the correct choice for each choice'.
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Yankee]

Hi Tamara

Sorry about your confusion, but your first assumption is correct. I didn't write that sentence in order to illustrate the most well-written sentence one could write, but rather as a sentence to include the word "choice" multiple times.

Rather than write "each question" multiple times, I chose to write only "each" the second time.

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Tamara]

Thanks, Amy.

It's certainly your free choice.
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It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…