How to use: More than, Less than, fewer than


 

“FEWER” AND “LESS”

“Fewer” and “less” are used to show that there is a smaller quantity or amount or something.

“fewer” belongs with plural countable nouns and “less” with uncountable nouns.

 

Fewer people drive cars these days.

(“People” is a plural countable noun.)


Travelling by bus or train uses less fuel.

(“Fuel” is an uncountable noun.)

 

  • There are fewer whales in the oceans nowadays.
  • We need to spend less money.
  • Fewer people enjoy gardening these days.
  • There is much less traffic today.

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COMMON MISTAKES “FEWER” AND “LESS”

It is important to remember the distinction between countable and uncountable nouns when using “fewer” and “less.”

I have fewer potatoes than I need.

(“Fewer” is only used with plural countable nouns.)

X-  I have less potatoes than I need.

X-  I have fewer flour than the recipe requires.

I have less flour than I need.

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“MORE THAN,” “LESS THAN,” AND “FEWER THAN”

“More than” is used when talking about amounts or quantities of countable and uncountable nouns.

  • Lions eat more than 15 pounds of meat each day.

 

“Fewer than” is used for groups of people or things.

There are fewer than 2500 tigers in the wild.

 

“Less than” is used when talking about amounts, distances, time, and money.

  • The wildlife park costs less than Rs 10 to visit.
  • The committee holds meetings more than 5 times a month.
  • There were more than 100 people at the event.
  • The charity survives with fewer than 20 volunteers.
  • There are fewer than 50 tickets left for the charity concert.
  • Charity workers are paid on average less than Rs 20 an hour.
  • You can donate less than the recommended amount.
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Remember 

"Fewer" is often used when referring to items that can be counted individually, while "less" is used for things that cannot be counted or measured easily. 
For example, "I have fewer apples than you" versus "I have less energy than I did yesterday."

When it comes to time, "fewer" is used for discrete units of time (such as minutes, hours, or days), while "less" is used for continuous amounts of time (such as time spent doing something).
For example, "I spent fewer hours studying yesterday" versus "I have less time to work on this project than I thought."

In some cases, "less" can be used with countable nouns if they are being referred to as a collective whole. 
For example, "I have less furniture in my apartment than my neighbour" (referring to furniture as a collective group rather than individual items). However, this usage is not as common as using "fewer" with countable nouns.

It's also worth noting that in some contexts, using "less" instead of "fewer" may not be considered a mistake, especially in casual conversation or writing. However, in more formal or academic settings, it's generally better to use the correct term for the type of noun being referred to.







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