Fewer / Less

Less is the comparative form of little. It is used especially before uncountable nouns. Fewer is the comparative of few. It is used before plural nouns. For example:

1. Jeff drinks less alcohol than John.
2. I have fewer pairs of shoes than I used to have.

1. I missed less work this year than last.
2. John has fewer fishing lures than Jack does.
3. Cherie drinks less wine than she used to.
4. Fewer than five children live in this apartment building.
5. We wear less clothing in hot weather.
6. She gets in fewer workouts than he does.
7. I tend to wear a lot less perfume on weekdays.
8. We grew fewer squashes in our garden than we did last season.

1. There were _______ days below freezing last winter.
2. I drank _______ water than she did.
3. I have _______ than an hour to do this work.
4. People these days are buying _______ newspapers.
5. I have _______ time to do this work.
6. _______ than thirty children each year develop the disease.
7. I wear _______ makeup on weekdays.
8. He worked _______ hours than I did.

Answers:

1. fewer
2. less
3. less
4. fewer
5. less
6. fewer
7. less
8. fewer