cheese_greater@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · edit-21 year agoWhat opinions do you have that you consider shallow && pedantic?message-squaremessage-square167fedilinkarrow-up10arrow-down10
arrow-up10arrow-down1message-squareWhat opinions do you have that you consider shallow && pedantic?cheese_greater@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world · edit-21 year agomessage-square167fedilink
minus-squaresexual_tomato@lemmy.dbzer0.comlinkfedilinkarrow-up0·1 year 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-squareboatswain@infosec.publinkfedilinkarrow-up0·1 year 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)
minus-squareHemingways_Shotgun@lemmy.calinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·1 year 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.
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.”
Along with that, I’ll add in “number” vs “amount”:
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.