cheese_greater@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · edit-22 years agoWhat opinions do you have that you consider (shallow && pedantic)?message-squaremessage-square111linkfedilinkarrow-up120arrow-down11file-text
arrow-up119arrow-down1message-squareWhat opinions do you have that you consider (shallow && pedantic)?cheese_greater@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · edit-22 years agomessage-square111linkfedilinkfile-text
minus-squaresexual_tomato@lemmy.dbzer0.comlinkfedilinkarrow-up3·2 years agoThey’re not interchangeable. ‘Fewer’ is for countable nouns and ‘less’ is for aggregate nouns, just like ‘how many’ and ‘how much’. E.g: Aggregate: “How much sand? Less sand.” Countable: “How many grains of sand? Fewer grains of sand.”
minus-squareHemingways_Shotgun@lemmy.calinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up3·2 years agoOh believe me, I know. I agree. but the argument nowadays is that common usage dictates that both are now “acceptable”, similar to how apparently “literally” now effectively means “figuratively” because everyone uses it.
minus-squareboatswain@infosec.publinkfedilinkarrow-up2·2 years agoAlong with that, I’ll add in “number” vs “amount”: A shocking number of people get this wrong (countable) The amount of confusion about it is distressing (aggregate)
They’re not interchangeable. ‘Fewer’ is for countable nouns and ‘less’ is for aggregate nouns, just like ‘how many’ and ‘how much’.
E.g:
Aggregate:
“How much sand? Less sand.”
Countable:
“How many grains of sand? Fewer grains of sand.”
Oh believe me, I know. I agree.
but the argument nowadays is that common usage dictates that both are now “acceptable”, similar to how apparently “literally” now effectively means “figuratively” because everyone uses it.
We don’t have to accept it.
Along with that, I’ll add in “number” vs “amount”: