I’m Gareth J M Saunders, 48 years old, 6′ 4″, father of 3 boys (including twins).
Scrum master at Vision Ltd, Dundee. Latterly, web architect and agile project manager at the University of St Andrews and former warden at Agnes Blackadder Hall.
Enneagram type FOUR and introvert, I am a non-stipendiary priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church, I sing with the NYCGB alumni choir, play guitar, write, draw and laugh… a lot.
View all posts by Gareth Saunders
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!!!