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Less or Fewer?

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

1

a) These days there are less cars on the roads.
b) These days you seem to get less beer for your money.
c) I've got fewer sausages than he has!!
d) If we are going to save the planet, we need to make less car journeys.
a) Well done. Cars are countable, so you can't have less cars. a) Cars are countable, so you can't have less cars. b) Well done. Beer is not countable so it is correct to have 'less beer'.b) Beer is not countable so it is correct to have 'less beer'.c) Well done. Sausages are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer sausages.'c) Sausages are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer sausages.'d) Well done. Car journeys are countable so it is not correct to say 'less car journeys'.d) Car journeys are countable so it is not correct to say 'less car journeys'.
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2

a) You should buy less CDs.
b) I really ought to drink less vodka.
c) She seems to have less time these days.
d) The tree has got less apples on it this year.
a) Well done. CDs are countable and so it is incorrect to say 'less CDs.'a) CDs are countable and so it is incorrect to say 'less CDs.'b) Well done. Vodka is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less vodka.'b) Vodka is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less vodka.'c) Well done. Time is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less time.'c) Time is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less time.'d) Well done. Apples are countable so it is not correct to say 'less apples.'d) Apples are countable so it is not correct to say 'less apples.'
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3

a) I have visited less countries than you have.
b) My house has less rooms than the one next door.
c) At the barbecue last night, I ate less sausages than Tim did.
d) At the barbecue last night, I drank less orange juice than Tim did.
a) Well done. Countries are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less countries.'a) Countries are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less countries.'b) Well done. Rooms are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less rooms.'b) Rooms are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less rooms.'c) Well done. Sausages are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less sausages.'c) Sausages are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less sausages.'d) Well done. Orange juice is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less orange juice.'d) Orange juice is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less orange juice.'
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4

a) There were less people in the bus than last night.
b) There is less sunshine in the west of England.
c) There are fewer hours of sunshine in the west of England.
d) We have all got less disposable income these days.
a) Well done. People are not countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less people.'a) People are not countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less people.'b) Well done. Sunshine is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less sunshine.'b) Sunshine is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less sunshine.'c) Well done. Hours are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer hours.'c) Hours are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer hours.'d) Well done. Disposable income is not countable so it is correct to say 'less income.'d) Disposable income is not countable so it is correct to say 'less income.'
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5

a) My wife thinks she has less shoes than Imelda Marcos, but she's wrong.
b) Spurs did in fact score less goals last season than Arsenal.
c) There are fewer decent players in the Premiership these days.
d) Imelda Marcos had less money to spend on shoes than my wife.
a) Well done. Shoes are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less shoes'.a) Shoes are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less shoes'.b) Well done. Goals are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less goals.'b) Goals are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less goals.'c) Well done. Players are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer players'. c) Players are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer players'. d) Well done. Money is not countable (in the sense of having one money, two monies etc) so it is correct to say 'less money.'d) Money is not countable (in the sense of having one money, two monies etc) so it is correct to say 'less money.'
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6

a) As I get older, I find myself reading less and less books.
b) As I get older, I find myself drinking less and less wine.
c) As I get older, I find myself taking less and less walks.
d) As I get older, I find myself thinking less and less.
a) Well done. Books are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less books.'a) Books are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less books.'b) Well done. Wine is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less wine.'b) Wine is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less wine.'c) Well done. Walks are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less walks.'c) Walks are countable, so it is correct to say 'less walks.'d) Well done. Thinking is not countable, so it is correct to 'think less'. d) Thinking is not countable, so it is correct to 'think less'.
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7

a) She always said she wanted make fewer business trips.
b) We want to work less.
c) I would love to be able make less journeys.
d) You really ought to buy less CDs.
a) Well done. Trips are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less trips.'a) Trips are countable and so it is incorrect to say 'less trips.'b) Well done. Work is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less work.'b) Work is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less work.'c) Well done. Journeys are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less journeys.'c) Journeys are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less journeys.'d) Well done. CDs are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less CDs.'d) CDs are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less CDs.'
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8

a) There are less students in this department.
b) Why have I got less pizza than my brother?
c) Why have I got fewer pizzas than my brother?
d) There are a lot less mistakes in your essays these days.
a) Well done. Students are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less students.'a) Students are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less students.'b) Well done. Pizza is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less pizza.'b) Pizza is not countable, so it is correct to say 'less pizza.'c) Well done. Pizzas are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer pizzas.'c) Pizzas are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer pizzas.'d) Well done. Mistakes are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less mistakes.'d) Mistakes are countable, so it is incorrect to say 'less mistakes.'
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9

a) There are less trains running these days.
b) We are all being encouraged to eat less salt.
c) My dentist told me I had to eat less sweets.
d) My doctor told me I should eat less custard.
a) Well done. Trains are countable so you would have to say 'fewer trains'.a) Trains are countable so you would have to say 'fewer trains'.b) Well done. Salt is not countable so it is correct to say 'less salt'.b) Salt is not countable so it is correct to say 'less salt'.c) Well done. Sweets are countable so you would have to say 'fewer sweets'.c) Sweets are countable so you would have to say 'fewer sweets'.d) Well done. Custard is not countable so it is correct to say 'less custard'.d) Custard is not countable so it is correct to say 'less custard'.
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10

a) I really should eat less biscuits.
b) You really should try to bring less luggage when you go on holiday.
c) There are less unspoiled places to go on holiday these days.
d) There are fewer occasions these days when I want to leave the house.
a) Well done. Biscuits are countable, so you would have to say 'fewer biscuits'.a) Biscuits are countable, so you would have to say 'fewer biscuits'.b) Well done. Luggage is countable so it is correct to say 'less luggage.'b) Luggage is countable so it is correct to say 'less luggage.'c) Well done. Unspoiled places are countable, so it would be correct to say 'fewer unspoiled places'.c) Unspoiled places are countable, so it would be correct to say 'fewer unspoiled places'.d) Well done. Occasions are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer occasions'.d) Occasions are countable, so it is correct to say 'fewer occasions'.
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Find out more about less and fewer.

See a list of other grammar exercises.