FEWER OR LESS? EXERCISE 1 (ESL)
level: Intermediate (B1/B2)
Fewer and less both mean “a smaller amount,” but they’re not interchangeable — and the rule for choosing between them is the same distinction that drives many other quantifier choices in English.
Grammar review
Fewer or less?
Both fewer and less mean “a smaller amount of”, but the choice depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.
FEWER — with countable nouns (things you can count individually):
“Fewer people came than expected.”
“There are fewer cars on the road today.”
“She made fewer mistakes this time.”
LESS — with uncountable nouns (things measured, not counted):
“He drinks less coffee now.”
“We have less time than I thought.”
“There is less traffic on Sundays.”
A simple test: Can you put a number in front of the noun? five people, three cars, two mistakes → countable → fewer. You can’t say five traffic or three coffee → uncountable → less.
Note: In informal spoken English, less is often used with countable nouns (“less people”), and you’ll see it on signs like “10 items or less”. However, in formal writing, the distinction between fewer and less is still expected.
Both fewer and less mean “a smaller amount of”, but the choice depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.
FEWER — with countable nouns (things you can count individually):
“Fewer people came than expected.”
“There are fewer cars on the road today.”
“She made fewer mistakes this time.”
LESS — with uncountable nouns (things measured, not counted):
“He drinks less coffee now.”
“We have less time than I thought.”
“There is less traffic on Sundays.”
A simple test: Can you put a number in front of the noun? five people, three cars, two mistakes → countable → fewer. You can’t say five traffic or three coffee → uncountable → less.
Note: In informal spoken English, less is often used with countable nouns (“less people”), and you’ll see it on signs like “10 items or less”. However, in formal writing, the distinction between fewer and less is still expected.
Complete each of the following sentences with either fewer or less.
Click on ANSWER to see the correct response.
