| 词组 | less |
| 释义 | less ◊ used in front of nouns You use less in front of an uncount noun to say that one quantity is not as big as another, or that a quantity is not as big as it was before. A shower uses less water than a bath. His work gets less attention than it deserves. In Catherine's case it has led to divorce and much less time for her child. Less is sometimes used in front of plural nouns. This proposal will mean less jobs and a dwindling rail network. Less people are going to university than usual. Some people object to this use. They say that you should use fewer in front of plural nouns, not 'less'. There are fewer trees here. The new technology allows products to be made with fewer components than before. However, fewer sounds formal when used in conversation. As an alternative to 'less' or 'fewer', you can use not as many or not so many in front of plural nouns. These expressions are acceptable in both conversation and writing. There are not as many cottages as there were. There aren't so many trees there. Note that after 'not as many' and 'not so many' you use as, not 'than'. ◊ 'less than' and 'fewer than' You use less than in front of a noun group to say that an amount or measurement is below a particular point or level. Half of all working women earned less than twenty pounds a week. I travelled less than 3000 miles. Less than is sometimes used in front of a noun group referring to a number of people or things. The whole of Switzerland has less than six million inhabitants. The country's standing army consisted of less than a hundred soldiers. Some people object to this use. They say that you should use fewer than, not 'less than', in front of a noun group referring to people or things. He had never been in a class with fewer than forty children. In 1900 there were fewer than one thousand university teachers. You can use less than in conversation, but you should use fewer than in formal writing. However, fewer than can only be used when the following noun group refers to a number of people or things. You do not use fewer than when the noun group refers to an amount or measurement. ◊ 'no less than' You use no less than or no fewer than in front of a number to show that you think that it is surprisingly large. By 1880, there were no less than fifty-six coal mines. No fewer than five cameramen lost their lives. In formal writing, you should use no fewer than, rather than 'no less than'. ◊ 'less' used in front of adjectives Less can be used in front of an adjective to say that someone or something has a smaller amount of a quality than they had before, or a smaller amount than someone or something else has. From this time on, I felt less guilty. Most of the other plays were less successful. ◊ WARNING You do not use less in front of the comparative form of an adjective. You do not say, for example, 'It is less colder than it was yesterday'. You say 'It is less cold than it was yesterday'. ◊ 'not as ... as' In conversation, people do not usually use less in front of adjectives. They do not say, for example, 'It is less cold than it was yesterday'. They say 'It is not as cold as it was yesterday'. No 14 Sumatra Road was not as pretty as Walnut Cottage. Not so is also sometimes used, but this is less common. The young otter is not so handsome as the old one. Note that after 'not as' and 'not so', you use as, not 'than'. |
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