Students often don’t know when to use less and when to use fewer in a sentence. Here are how to get them right.
Use fewer if you’re referring to people or things in the plural (e.g. houses, dogs, students, children). For example:
- People these days are buying fewer books.
- Fewer students are opting to study science-related subjects.
- Fewer than thirty children each year develop obesity.
Use less when you’re referring to something that can’t be counted (non countable) or doesn’t have a plural form (e.g. money, air, time, music, rain). For example:
- It’s a better job but they pay you less money.
- People want to spend less time in traffic jams.
- Ironically, when I’m on tour, I listen to less music.
Less is also used with numbers when they are on their own and with expressions of measurement or time, e.g.:
- Their marriage lasted less than two years.
- Ramayana is less than three miles away from Unigraha.