I’m Gareth J M Saunders, 46 years old, 6′ 4″, father of 3 boys (including twins).
Latterly, web architect and agile project manager at the University of St Andrews and warden at Agnes Blackadder Hall. Currently on sabbatical.
I am a priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church, and I sing with the NYCGB alumni choir.
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7 thoughts on “Fewer!”
Gareth, you know that I usually bow to your greater wisdom on all things grammatical but this time…………hmmmmm……….You know, I think ‘less’ is correct. ‘Thing’ is singular.
Thank you Dorothy and Doug; Dorothy is my mother-in-law, by the way, Doug, not my mum — my Mum is called Rosalie Saunders. 🙂
According to AskOxford.com:
Less means ‘not as much’. Fewer means ‘not as many’.
This can be a useful definition but removing the word “less” and dropping these definitions into its place doesn’t help in this instance.
Bristol University offers this distinction:
Less is used with things/material that cannot be counted or separated into individual parts… Fewer is used with discrete things that can be separated or counted.
I would argue that ‘thing’ in this context is a discrete, separate, countable item; one of the many discrete, separate and countable items about which you need to think during the next year.
That’s why I wrote what I did. I could be wrong, but that’s my reading of it. I don’t go along with the simple definition that less is single, fewer is plural.
Gareth, you know that I usually bow to your greater wisdom on all things grammatical but this time…………hmmmmm……….You know, I think ‘less’ is correct. ‘Thing’ is singular.
I’ve been pondering this one since I read it at Glen, I agree with your mum
Thank you Dorothy and Doug; Dorothy is my mother-in-law, by the way, Doug, not my mum — my Mum is called Rosalie Saunders. 🙂
According to AskOxford.com:
This can be a useful definition but removing the word “less” and dropping these definitions into its place doesn’t help in this instance.
Bristol University offers this distinction:
I would argue that ‘thing’ in this context is a discrete, separate, countable item; one of the many discrete, separate and countable items about which you need to think during the next year.
That’s why I wrote what I did. I could be wrong, but that’s my reading of it. I don’t go along with the simple definition that less is single, fewer is plural.
There’s quite a fun quiz on the Bristol.ac.uk website.
OK. I believe you. Not for ever. But on this occasion, I believe you. I think. (By the way, I like your friend Doug!)
Ha my bad, sorry dude.
Meh, you win…. knew you would though
Clever Clogs!
Rosalie, I agree with the sentiment entirely!!!