La diferencia entre 'fewer' y 'less'

Se dice que un sustantivo es contable (countable) si se refiere a una unidad y cuando es plural se trata de un nmero de unidades distintas. Por ejemplo libro es un sustantivo contable, ya que puedes tener un libro, dos libros, tres libros, etctera. En cambio, un sustantivo no contable[2] (uncountable, o mass noun) se refiere a algo que no es una unidad por s mismo tal como una sustancia y normalmente va con algn cuantificador (quantifier) que indica una cantidad especfica. Por ejemplo, no dices una harina, dos harinas etctera, sino una taza de harina, medio kilo de harina o algo as. Si quieres decir en ingls menos de algo, habr dos opciones: puedes emplear less o fewer. Muchos angloparlantes siempre usan less, y nunca fewer. No obstante, los hablantes ms cultos consideran importante distinguir entre dos casos: usan fewer con los sustantivos contables y less nicamente con los no contables. This bottle has less water in it than the other one. There were fewer students there today.

Por cierto, s se usa less con sustantivos contables plurales cuando sugieran una cantidad que debe tratarse como una unidad o conjunto. Por ejemplo cuando se trata de nmeros, sumas de dinero, o medidas de distancia o tiempo: less than 23 (menos de 23), less than $100 (menos de $100), less than 50 metres (menos de 50 metros), less than three months (menos de tres meses). Este ltimo, por ejemplo, realmente representa una duracin nica, y no tres meses individuales. Nota: Para indicar ms de algo, hay una sola palabra para ambos tipos de sustantivos: more. Por ejemplo: This bottle has more water in it than the other one. There were more students there today.

To sum up:
Fewer means "a smaller number" and it's used with countable nouns. Less means "a smaller amount" and it's used with uncountable nouns.

fewer There were fewer people at the bank this morning. This year fewer foreigners have arrived at our country. Fewer planes have landed at the old terminal. less You should eat less salt. Now that he works, he has less time to read. He was paid less money than he expected.

Fill in with fewer or less

1. There are 2. Our team has won 3. Try to eat 4. salt. people working today. matches this year.

letters have arrived this month. time to study for this exam. money than expected.

5. Sheila had 6. He actually paid

Look at these sentences and put a tick next to those that use less/fewer correctly.

a) b) c) d)

These days there are less cars on the roads. These days you seem to get less beer for your money. I've got fewer sausages than he has!! If we are going to save the planet, we need to make less car journeys.

a) b) c) d)

You should buy less CDs. I really ought to drink less vodka. She seems to have less time these days. The tree has got less apples on it this year.

b) c) d)

My house has less rooms than the one next door. At the barbecue last night, I ate less sausages than Tim did. At the barbecue last night, I drank less orange juice than Tim did.

a) b) c)

There were less people in the bus than last night. There is less sunshine in the west of England. There are fewer hours of sunshine in the west of England.

d)

We have all got less disposable income these days.

a)

My wife thinks she has less shoes than Imelda Marcos, but she's wrong.

b) c) d)

Spurs did in fact score less goals last season than Arsenal. There are fewer decent players in the Premiership these days. Imelda Marcos had less money to spend on shoes than my wife.

a) b) c) d)

As I get older, I find myself reading less and less books. As I get older, I find myself drinking less and less wine. As I get older, I find myself taking less and less walks. As I get older, I find myself thinking less and less.

a) b) c) d)

She always said she wanted make fewer business trips. We want to work less. I would love to be able make less journeys. You really ought to buy less CDs.

a) b) c) d)

There are less students in this department. Why have I got less pizza than my brother? Why have I got fewer pizzas than my brother? There are a lot less mistakes in your essays these days.

a)

There are less trains running these days.

b) c) d)

We are all being encouraged to eat less salt. My dentist told me I had to eat less sweets. My doctor told me I should eat less custard.

10

a) b)

I really should eat less biscuits. You really should try to bring less luggage when you go on holiday.

c) d)

There are less unspoiled places to go on holiday these days. There are fewer occasions these days when I want to leave the house.

Choose the correct word in each sentence below.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The cook suddenly wished she had added (fewer/ less) soy sauce. I wish we were given (fewer/ less) pages for homework. I wish we were given (fewer /less) homework. David found that (fewer /less) spoonfuls helped the mixture. Did you know that I've read (fewe/r less) than half of my books? Give me (fewer/ less) slices of pizza.

7. Jennifer later discovered that her brother had bought (fewer /less) textbooks than she. 8. 9. 10. Tomorrow, class, please bring in (fewer/ less) leaves than you brought today. I found that I had spilled (fewer/ less) soda than I had thought. Perhaps (fewer /less) than six computers will be set up.

Complete with fewer or less.]

There are women in my family than men. The express line is only for shoppers with ten items or Mandy dumped me, but that doesn't mean I like her any You should try to use .. energy by turning off the light when you leave the room. 5. We have students this year than last. 6. There seem to be .. tourists around this year. 1. 2. 3. 4.

7. Maybe he would worry if he understood the situation. 8. She has interest in gardening than he does. 9. There are . buses on Sundays. 10. Doctors recommend eating . salt. 11. David has ideas than everyone else. 12. I hope . snow falls this year.

Few, the fewest, fewer, the least, less or a few?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. The exhibition was not very crowded. There were ______ people than I expected. Meeting Bill Clinton was much ______ frightening than I had imagined. I've not met him but I've heard ______ stories about him and he sounds interesting. He's ______ crazy than you first think. Some of his ideas make sense. That must be ______ frightening horror film I've ever seen. It's time somebody told him ______ home truths. I strongly disapprove. I don't like what I've heard in ______ . He's not liked. In fact he's ______ liked person in the office. I'd like to go to Japan but I get so ______ opportunities to travel in my present job. I'd like you to spend ______ time on your own work and more on controlling your staff. David Letterman is very famous in America but ______ people in England have heard of him. We mustn't postpone this meeting. We get to meet on too ______ occasions as it is. Frankly, John's problems are ______ of my worries. If you spent ______ time worrying, you'd get more done. I don't like any of the solutions. I suppose John's is ______ bad of them but I still don't like it. It's not important. It doesn't matter in ______ . The winner will be the person who makes ______ mistakes. I've had ______ problems with this. I really need some help. I've had ______ problems with this. I don't need any help. "Never was so much owed by so many to so ______ ." - Winston Churchill