Less or Fewer: Not So Simple

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

The unusually cold weather wrecked havoc with our weather plans.

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You probably remember your English teacher telling you to use fewer for things you can count (“fewer apples”) and less for things you can’t count (“less money”).

I heard it from a beloved English teacher in high school, and I just assumed that ’twas ever thus. He knew everything and was always right – or so I thought.

Not true! Using less with countable nouns (“less apples”) goes all the way back to Alfred the Great in 888, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The rule I learned from my English teacher didn’t come along until the 18th century – and then it was only a suggestion, not a rule.

Old habits die hard, and that’s as true of English as any other habit. People have been saying “less apples” for more than a thousand years. That usage isn’t going away any time soon!

But I’m going to warn you against a usage that’s becoming more common: “fewer than one.” No. It’s “less than one.” Please!

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

The correct expression is “wreaked havoc.”

The unusually cold weather wreaked havoc with our weather plans.  CORRECT

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