Fewer or less?

Last week we looked at amount and number and talked about how frequently they get misused. This week's pair of words are just as misunderstood.

Fewer or  less: how are we supposed to know which one to use? As with the whole of the English language, these words are in a state of change - but that doesn't mean that you can use them any which way. The grammar police out there will soon let you know when you get it wrong.

Let's make it easy (you like easy, right?) and make a couple of simple rules.

1. Use fewer when you mean 'a smaller number of...'.
2. Use less when you mean 'a smaller quantity or amount of...'.

So how does that look in the real world?

There are fewer marbles in the toy box because Sam dropped half of them out of the window.

There is less mess in the playroom now that Sam has thrown all his toys out of the window.

 

Fewer Than and Less Than

You can follow the same rules for fewer than and less than.

Fewer than twenty marbles are left in the toy box.

Less than half the mess was left after Sam had thrown his marbles out of the window.

You can do a little double check if you want to by changing your sentences around a bit and using much or many.

How many marbles are there? There are fewer than before because Sam has been careless.

How much mess is there? There is less than before because Sam has been busy throwing his toys out of the window.

 

Plurals of Measurement

What about money and time? Surely we don't say The new shirt cost fewer than $30? You're right, we don't. When it comes to time and money it's best to think of it as a total amount and so use less.

The new shirts cost less than $30 each so I bought two.

It was less than 50 km from the station to our house so I walked.

So, remember the rules above? Let's add one more...

1. Use fewer when you mean 'a smaller number of...'.
2. Use less when you mean 'a smaller quantity or amount of...'.
3. Use less than when you are dealing with an 'amount' of time or money.

Easier than you thought.