jophefs
10/26/07, 05:10 AM
When making a comparison between quantities we often have to make a choice between the words fewer and less. Generally, when we're talking about countable things, we use the word fewer; when we're talking about measurable quantities that we cannot count, we use the word less. "She had fewer chores, but she also had less energy."
Definitely use less when referring to statistical or numerical expressions:
* It's less than twenty kilometers to Makati.
* He's less than five feet tall.
* Your essay should be a thousand words or less.
* We spent less than forty pesos on our trip.
* The company spent less than four percent of its budget on building maintenance.
In these situations, it's possible to regard the quantities as sums of countable measures.
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Definitely use less when referring to statistical or numerical expressions:
* It's less than twenty kilometers to Makati.
* He's less than five feet tall.
* Your essay should be a thousand words or less.
* We spent less than forty pesos on our trip.
* The company spent less than four percent of its budget on building maintenance.
In these situations, it's possible to regard the quantities as sums of countable measures.
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