For free means without paying. People use it for anything they did not have to pay for: things, services, entry to a museum. After a verb, free on its own is often enough: Children under five travel free.
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get/use/do + something + for free; travel/enter + free; free + noun; free of charge (formal)
- My sister works at the theatre, so she sometimes gets tickets for free.
- This app lets you read the first three chapters of any book for free.
- You can visit the museum for free on the first Sunday of every month.
What changed
First versionI got the tickets freely because my friend works at the stadium.
RevisionI got the tickets for free because my friend works at the stadium.
It is tempting to turn free into an adverb with -ly, like quickly or easily. But freely means “without limits or control”: speak freely, move freely. When the point is money, the phrase is for free, so it replaced freely.
Before a noun, for is not used: free delivery, free Wi-Fi, not for free delivery. Notices and official letters often say free of charge instead: Parking is free of charge for hotel guests. For free sounds more conversational.
Your turn
Children under five travel on local buses ___, so we only paid for two adult tickets.
Show the answer
for free — The children cost nothing, which is why only two adult tickets were bought: little ones travel for free. Freely means “without limits” and says nothing about price.
Describe an app, service or place in your town that you use without paying. Name it and explain why you don't have to pay, using for free.
I use the city library's e-book app for free because I have a library card.
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