You may have fewer ingredients but less salt. Or, people are buying fewer newspapers because they have less money. However, according to usage rules, 'fewer' is used when using countable things and 'less' is used for singular mass nouns
'Less' is used when referring to quantities that cannot be counted (e.g. less sugar), while 'fewer' is used when referring to quantities that can be counted (e.g. fewer cookies).
Contrary to popular belief, the words 'less' and 'fewer' cannot be used interchangeably. 'Fewer' is used when it would be possible to count the number of things. (Example: There are fewer people here now than there were earlier.) 'Less' is used when you cannot count the number of things.
No, it is not correct grammar. It should be "twenty items or fewer." "Less" is used for uncountable quantities, while "fewer" should be used for countable items like "items."
You would say "less land" because "land" is an uncountable noun, and we typically use "less" with uncountable nouns.
You may have fewer ingredients but less salt. Or, people are buying fewer newspapers because they have less money. However, according to usage rules, 'fewer' is used when using countable things and 'less' is used for singular mass nouns
An angle that is less than 90º is acute.
Two is more than one and less than three.
Less
'Less' is used when referring to quantities that cannot be counted (e.g. less sugar), while 'fewer' is used when referring to quantities that can be counted (e.g. fewer cookies).
fewer
A sentence using anything less:You can take anything less than five.
I have less marshmallows in my hot chocolate than you.
The theory is that you use fewer for countable things and less for uncountable things. For example fewer coins but less money; fewer teeth but less hair; fewer bananas but less fruit; fewer hats but less clothing. [You may have 6 coins, 25 teeth, 12 bananas and 7 hats but the other things don't go with numbers.)I have FEWER cats than dogs.I have FEWER pencils than pensThere are FEWER buildings in the country than in the city.Hope this helps:)
The terms "fewer" and "less" are often confused, but they are used differently based on what they describe. Here’s a clear breakdown of the difference: Fewer Usage: "Fewer" is used with countable nouns—things that you can count individually. Examples: "There are fewer apples in this basket than in that one." (Apples are countable.) "She has fewer books than he does." (Books are countable.) "We need fewer chairs for the meeting." (Chairs are countable.) Less Usage: "Less" is used with uncountable nouns—things that cannot be counted individually and are typically measured in terms of volume, amount, or degree. Examples: "There is less water in the glass." (Water is uncountable.) "She has less time to complete the project." (Time is uncountable.) "We need less sugar in the recipe." (Sugar is uncountable.) Summary Fewer: Used with things that can be counted (e.g., apples, chairs, books). Less: Used with things that cannot be counted individually and are measured in bulk or degree (e.g., water, time, sugar). Examples in Sentences Fewer: "There are fewer students in the class this semester." Less: "There is less noise in the library than in the cafeteria." Using "fewer" for countable nouns and "less" for uncountable nouns helps ensure clear and accurate communication.
Contrary to popular belief, the words 'less' and 'fewer' cannot be used interchangeably. 'Fewer' is used when it would be possible to count the number of things. (Example: There are fewer people here now than there were earlier.) 'Less' is used when you cannot count the number of things.
I pity the fool who gets in my way! She didn't want his pity, but his love.