Some people don’t realize there is a grammatical difference between the words “less” and “fewer.” They mean the same thing, essentially. But, to be used correctly, you must first think of what you’re trying to represent as not having as much. Is it a “count noun” or a “mass noun”?
According to Grammar Girl:
A count noun is just something you can count. I’m looking at my desk and I see books, pens, and M&M’s. I can count all those things, so they are count nouns and the right word to use is fewer. I should eat fewer M&M’s.
Mass nouns are just things that you can’t count individually. Again, on my desk I see tape and clutter. These things can’t be counted individually, so the right word to use is less. If I had less clutter, my desk would be cleaner.
She goes on to explain good ways to remember this grammar rule as well as exceptions to the rule. Did you know that the grocery aisle saying “10 items or less” is grammatically incorrect? It should be “fewer” because you can actually count the items.
Entries (RSS)
[...] how we were just complaining about the misuse of “less” and “fewer”? Well, Weird Al Yankovic also cares about grammar. Check out how he helps a grocery store with its [...]