- Grammar, Simplified: An Imaginary Gardens Advice Column – The First Ask
- Grammar Simplified: An Imaginary Gardens Advice Column – Less Words, Fewer Problems
By Mary Arsenault, Staff Writer
Well, here we are again! I am on a journey to understand grammar and the English language more. So I’m sending my questions to one of our English Professors here at Pellissippi State Community College. If you missed the first question, check it out here to understand more about how the English language got to where it is now – it’s pretty interesting, and I definitely learned some things I didn’t know before. But, my grammar expedition isn’t nearly over yet; I have a lot more questions, so I’m getting back to it, sending my questions to professors on campus and getting them answered.
Dear Grammar Professor,
What is the difference between ‘fewer’ and ‘less?’ It seems like they should be interchangeable and usually they are…except when they’re not? What? And why?
Sincerely rethinking my life choices,
Mary
Dear Mary,
Nouns (words for things, people, places, ideas etc.) in English come in two types: countable and uncountable. Countable nouns are for things to which we can easily assign numbers. For example, I have three chairs in my office. You have two textbooks and six pens in your bag. She has three hamsters as pets.
However, some things we do not count. There are three major types of these:
- Things that are not things, but feelings or ideas, like love or anger. I can say I love puppies more than flowers, but I cannot say I love puppies seven more than flowers. There is nothing to count.
- Things that are categories. For example, I can have two chairs and a table, but I cannot total these to “three furniture.” I can have two earrings and a bracelet, but I cannot have three jeweleries.
- Things that come in amounts, not units, like water or sand. When you look at the ocean, you cannot say that it contains three waters, or thirty, or thirty million.
For these last two, we can measure units. For example, I can count bottles of water, and call them waters, or count packets of sugar, and call them sugars. But what we are counting are units, not the thing itself.
We have, in some instances, special words that we use for things we can count and things we can’t. For example, I can have much information, but not many informations. I can have less work, not fewer works. We use “much” and “less” for things we cannot count, and “many” and “fewer” for things we can…
Hope this helps,
Professor
Ahh, wow, Professor, thanks for the clarification, that makes sense – see, that feels like way too many commas, but grammar says it’s correct? Send help! I can honestly say that I don’t think I’ve ever truly understood why the two are different, I’ve just known that they were somehow; I’ve mostly been able to assign them correctly, but thinking about it as countable and uncountable really made it click, thank you for helping me understand.
Suddenly, I have an idea for my next question; it’s something I’ve always struggled with and, maybe, you have too. I know there are a lot of feelings about it because it can be subjective, so this should be a good one. That’s right, we’re getting into commas! I can’t wait to hear the Professor’s perspective on this one.
I hope you’ll join me next semester as I continue my journey to understanding. See you then!
