[etni] Re: New ETNI Poll or Excuse me, but shouldn't it be "fewer hours" and not "less hours"?
- From: "Lev Abramov" <lev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <zmirianc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Etni@Freelists. Org" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 07:31:18 +0200
**** ETNI on the web http://www.etni.org.il http://www.etni.org ****
Dear all -=20
I'm glad that errors some of us make in our postings to the list =
actually
lead to learning, as the posting quoted below clearly indicates.
However, no matter how various dictionaries present it, "less" is used =
with
uncountable nouns (e.g., time) while "fewer" attributes countable nouns =
-
hours, for example. Using them indiscriminately (=3Dintechangeably) on =
the
premise that "hours" actually means "time" is not the kind of English we
were taught and are expected to teach.
I think a major psychological problem here in Israel is some strange
inability to say aloud, "Sorry, it was a mistake." Look how it works:
Someone posts "less hours" instead of "fewer hours" - someone says it's
wrong - OK, say "Oooops... Sorry!" - No, we'll keep trying to prove that
fewer =3D less.
A Bagrut exam is written so badly the whole country starts screaming.
Instead of saying "Sorry" and making amends, the Inspectorate plays =
possum
for a while, then claims everything was ok, loses teachers' trust - but =
has
a feeling it has saved its face.
The State sends agents to New Zealand, they get caught; all that is =
needed
to settle the issue is to say "Sorry" - but no, we're too great, too
impeccable to admit we CAN make a mistake. NZ almost breaks its =
connections
with Israel - but no-one claims responsibility.
Maybe it's time to start admitting errors in English - this may later =
help
prevent international conflicts...
Best -
Lev
-----------
Lev ABRAMOV <lev[at]schiffman.biz>
The Shiffman Institute www.schiffman.biz
-----Original Message-----
From: etni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:etni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On =
Behalf
Of The Cohen Family
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 9:53 PM
To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [etni] New ETNI Poll or Excuse me, but shouldn't it be "fewer
hours" and not "less hours"?=20
Linda wrote:
> Excuse me, but shouldn't it be "fewer hours" and not "less hours"?
--- snip ---
=20
ETNI responded by quoting the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (M-W) .=20
Based on the last part of M-W's explanation, "Less is .as likely as =
fewer to
modify periods of time
<in less (or fewer) than four hours>", it seems to me that in this case =
both
possibilities are eligible.
=20
Referring to fewer and less, I would like to quote The American College
Dictionary published by Random House:
Fewer, Less are sometimes confused because both imply to a comparison =
with
something larger (in number or amount).
FEWER applies only to number: a fewer street cars are running now than =
ten
years ago.
LESS is used in various ways. It is commonly applied to material in =
bulk, in
references to amount:
less gasoline in the tank than we thought.
It is also used frequently with abstractions, especially where the idea =
of
amount is figuratively present:=20
less courage, less wealth.
Less applies where such attributes as value, degree, etc. (but not size =
or
number) are concerned:
a nickel is less than a dime (in value); a corporal is less than a =
sergeant
(in rank).=20
A merge of both dictionaries helped me understand the issue better.
Dorian
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