Fewer versus less is a debate in English grammar about the appropriate use of these two determiners. Linguistic prescriptivists usually say that fewer should be used (instead of less) with count nouns,[1] and that less should be used only with mass nouns. This distinction was first made by grammarian Robert Baker in 1770,[2] and has been promulgated by many grammarians since then.[a] However, more recent perspectives, taking current usage into account, note that while the rule for fewer stands, the word less is used more fluidly.[2]
This rule can be seen in the examples "there is less flour in this canister" and "there are fewer cups (grains, pounds, bags, etc.) of flour in this canister", which are based on the reasoning that flour is uncountable whereas the unit used to measure the flour (cup, etc.) is countable. However, some prescriptivists prescribe the rule addition that less should be used with units of measurement (e.g. "less than 10 pounds/dollars"). Prescriptivists might, however, consider "fewer cups of coffee" to be correct in a sentence such as "there are fewer cups of coffee on the table now", where the cups are countable separate objects. In addition, "less" is sometimes recommended in front of counting nouns that denote distance, amount, or time. For example, "we go on holiday in fewer than four weeks" and "he can run the 100 m in fewer than ten seconds" are not advised by some people.[4]
Some prescriptivists argue that the rare and unidiomatic[5]one fewer should be used instead of one less (both when used alone or together with a singular, discretely quantifiable noun as in "there is one fewer cup on this table"), but Merriam–Webster's Dictionary of English Usage says that "of course [less] follows one.[2]
Current usageedit
The comparativeless is used with both countable and uncountable nouns in some informal discourse environments and in most dialects of English.[citation needed] In other informal discourse however, the use of fewer could be considered natural. Many supermarket checkout line signs, for instance, will read "10 items or less"; others, however, will use fewer in an attempt to conform to prescriptive grammar. Descriptive grammarians consider this to be a case of hypercorrection as explained in Pocket Fowler's Modern English Usage.[6][7] A British supermarket chain replaced its "10 items or less" notices at checkouts with "up to 10 items" to avoid the issue.[8][9] It has also been noted that it is less common to favour "At fewest ten items" over "At least ten items" – a potential inconsistency in the "rule",[10] and a study of online usage seems to suggest that the distinction may, in fact, be semantic rather than grammatical.[7] Likewise, it would be very unusual to hear the unidiomatic "I have seen that film at fewest ten times."[11][failed verification]
The Cambridge Guide to English Usage notes that the "pressure to substitute fewer for less seems to have developed out of all proportion to the ambiguity it may provide in noun phrases like less promising results". It describes conformance with this pressure as a shibboleth and the choice "between the more formal fewer and the more spontaneous less" as a stylistic choice.[12]
aspect
original shape
comparative grade
top grade
[quantity]
few
fewer
fewest
[shape, appearance]
little
less
least
[quantity]: numbers.
[shape, appearance]: shape or form or face.
Historical usageedit
Less has historically been used in English with countable nouns, but a distinction between the use of fewer and less is first recorded in the 18th century. On this, Merriam–Webster's Dictionary of English Usage notes:[2]
As far as we have been able to discover, the received rule originated in 1770 as a comment on less: "This Word is most commonly used in speaking of a Number; where I should think Fewer would do better. 'No Fewer than a Hundred' appears to me, not only more elegant than 'No less than a Hundred', but more strictly proper." (Robert Baker 1770).[13] Baker's remarks about 'fewer' express clearly and modestly – 'I should think,' 'appears to me' – his own taste and preference....Notice how Baker's preference has been generalized and elevated to an absolute status and his notice of contrary usage has been omitted."
Swa mid læs worda swa mid ma, swæðer we hit yereccan mayon.
("With less words or with more, whether we may prove it.")
This is in fact an Old Englishpartitive construction using the "quasi-substantive" adverb læs and the genitive worda ("less of words") (cf. plenty of words and *plenty words). When the genitive plural ceased to exist, less of words became less words, and this construction has been used since then until the present.[14]
^See for example, The Complete Plain Words by Sir Ernest Gowers, revised by Sir Bruce Fraser and issued as a standard text by HMSO to British civil servants.[3]
Referencesedit
^Goldstein, Norm (2000). Associated Press Stylebook. The Associated Press. p. 98. ISBN0-917360-19-2.
^ abcd"less, fewer". Merriam-Webster's dictionary of English usage (2nd ed.). Merriam-Webster. 1995. p. 592. ISBN0-87779-132-5.
^"Fewer vs. Less – Grammar & Punctuation". The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (grammarbook.com). Retrieved 2016-01-27.
^"Throw Grammar from the Train: One fewer non-rule to follow". Throwgrammarfromthetrain.blogspot.co.uk. 2013-01-10. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
^"Supermarket checkouts are correct when the signs they display read 5 items or less (which refers to a total amount), and are misguidedly pedantic when they read 5 items or fewer (which emphasizes individuality, surely not the intention)." ()
^"Tesco to ditch 'ten items or less' sign after good grammar campaign". 2008.
^Tesco is to change the wording of signs on its fast-track checkouts to avoid any linguistic dispute, BBC, August 2008.
^"The least and the fewest". Englishgrammar.org. 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
^"fewer or less". The Cambridge Guide to English Usage. Cambridge University Press. 2004. p. 205. ISBN978-0-521-62181-6.
^Baker, Robert (1770). Reflections on the English Language: In the Nature of Vaugelas's Reflections on the French. J. Bell. p. 55. (The subtitle refers to the 17th-century French grammarian Vaugelas.)
^Fowler, H.W. (2015). Butterfield, Jeremy (ed.). Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage. Oxford University Press. p. 472. ISBN978-0-19-966135-0.
External linksedit
Less/Fewer – Learning English – BBC World Service
Translation Directory on the relevancy of the rule
November 11, 2023
fewer, versus, less, fewer, redirects, here, profit, organization, forum, early, warning, early, response, debate, english, grammar, about, appropriate, these, determiners, linguistic, prescriptivists, usually, that, fewer, should, used, instead, less, with, c. Fewer redirects here For the non profit organization see Forum on Early Warning and Early Response Fewer versus less is a debate in English grammar about the appropriate use of these two determiners Linguistic prescriptivists usually say that fewer should be used instead of less with count nouns 1 and that less should be used only with mass nouns This distinction was first made by grammarian Robert Baker in 1770 2 and has been promulgated by many grammarians since then a However more recent perspectives taking current usage into account note that while the rule for fewer stands the word less is used more fluidly 2 Contents 1 Controversy 2 Current usage 3 Historical usage 4 See also 5 Footnotes 6 References 7 External linksControversy editThis rule can be seen in the examples there is less flour in this canister and there are fewer cups grains pounds bags etc of flour in this canister which are based on the reasoning that flour is uncountable whereas the unit used to measure the flour cup etc is countable However some prescriptivists prescribe the rule addition that less should be used with units of measurement e g less than 10 pounds dollars Prescriptivists might however consider fewer cups of coffee to be correct in a sentence such as there are fewer cups of coffee on the table now where the cups are countable separate objects In addition less is sometimes recommended in front of counting nouns that denote distance amount or time For example we go on holiday in fewer than four weeks and he can run the 100 m in fewer than ten seconds are not advised by some people 4 Some prescriptivists argue that the rare and unidiomatic 5 one fewer should be used instead of one less both when used alone or together with a singular discretely quantifiable noun as in there is one fewer cup on this table but Merriam Webster s Dictionary of English Usage says that of course less follows one 2 Current usage editThe comparative less is used with both countable and uncountable nouns in some informal discourse environments and in most dialects of English citation needed In other informal discourse however the use of fewer could be considered natural Many supermarket checkout line signs for instance will read 10 items or less others however will use fewer in an attempt to conform to prescriptive grammar Descriptive grammarians consider this to be a case of hypercorrection as explained in Pocket Fowler s Modern English Usage 6 7 A British supermarket chain replaced its 10 items or less notices at checkouts with up to 10 items to avoid the issue 8 9 It has also been noted that it is less common to favour At fewest ten items over At least ten items a potential inconsistency in the rule 10 and a study of online usage seems to suggest that the distinction may in fact be semantic rather than grammatical 7 Likewise it would be very unusual to hear the unidiomatic I have seen that film at fewest ten times 11 failed verification The Cambridge Guide to English Usage notes that the pressure to substitute fewer for less seems to have developed out of all proportion to the ambiguity it may provide in noun phrases like less promising results It describes conformance with this pressure as a shibboleth and the choice between the more formal fewer and the more spontaneous less as a stylistic choice 12 aspect original shape comparative grade top grade quantity few fewer fewest shape appearance little less least quantity numbers shape appearance shape or form or face Historical usage editLess has historically been used in English with countable nouns but a distinction between the use of fewer and less is first recorded in the 18th century On this Merriam Webster s Dictionary of English Usage notes 2 As far as we have been able to discover the received rule originated in 1770 as a comment on less This Word is most commonly used in speaking of a Number where I should think Fewer would do better No Fewer than a Hundred appears to me not only more elegant than No less than a Hundred but more strictly proper Robert Baker 1770 13 Baker s remarks about fewer express clearly and modestly I should think appears to me his own taste and preference Notice how Baker s preference has been generalized and elevated to an absolute status and his notice of contrary usage has been omitted The oldest use that the Oxford English Dictionary gives for less with a countable noun is a quotation from 888 by Alfred the Great Swa mid laes worda swa mid ma swaeder we hit yereccan mayon With less words or with more whether we may prove it This is in fact an Old English partitive construction using the quasi substantive adverb laes and the genitive worda less of words cf plenty of words and plenty words When the genitive plural ceased to exist less of words became less words and this construction has been used since then until the present 14 See also editGrammatical number Mass noun Words fewer and less Count noun Quantization linguistics Footnotes edit See for example The Complete Plain Words by Sir Ernest Gowers revised by Sir Bruce Fraser and issued as a standard text by HMSO to British civil servants 3 References edit Goldstein Norm 2000 Associated Press Stylebook The Associated Press p 98 ISBN 0 917360 19 2 a b c d less fewer Merriam Webster s dictionary of English usage 2nd ed Merriam Webster 1995 p 592 ISBN 0 87779 132 5 Gowers 1973 p 163 Fewer vs Less Grammar amp Punctuation The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation grammarbook com Retrieved 2016 01 27 Throw Grammar from the Train One fewer non rule to follow Throwgrammarfromthetrain blogspot co uk 2013 01 10 Retrieved 2016 01 27 Supermarket checkouts are correct when the signs they display read 5 items or less which refers to a total amount and are misguidedly pedantic when they read 5 items or fewer which emphasizes individuality surely not the intention Oxford Dictionaries a b Liberman Mark 2006 If it was good enough for King Alfred the Great Language Log When to use fewer rather than less 2008 Tesco to ditch ten items or less sign after good grammar campaign 2008 Tesco is to change the wording of signs on its fast track checkouts to avoid any linguistic dispute BBC August 2008 The least and the fewest Englishgrammar org 2012 03 29 Retrieved 2016 01 27 fewer or less The Cambridge Guide to English Usage Cambridge University Press 2004 p 205 ISBN 978 0 521 62181 6 Baker Robert 1770 Reflections on the English Language In the Nature of Vaugelas s Reflections on the French J Bell p 55 The subtitle refers to the 17th century French grammarian Vaugelas Fowler H W 2015 Butterfield Jeremy ed Fowler s Dictionary of Modern English Usage Oxford University Press p 472 ISBN 978 0 19 966135 0 External links editLess Fewer Learning English BBC World Service Less Fewer Oxford Dictionaries History of the rule and exceptions Translation Directory on the relevancy of the rule Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fewer versus less amp oldid 1183431699, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
