Less vs Fewer:唔使再為文法恐慌
喺美國一間雜貨店,有個結帳通道嘅告示牌寫住「10 items or less」。附近某處,有位英文老師正喺度默默皺眉 —— 規範文法話應該寫「10 items or fewer」先啱。兩種寫法喺現實生活裏面周圍都係,而教科書規則同講者實際講法之間嘅差距,已經困擾咗學習者幾十年。
點解咁緊要
Less 同 fewer 都係解「較少嘅數量」,但佢哋配唔同種類嘅名詞。經典規則好簡單,現實用法就模糊啲,而喺寫作考試同正式文件裏面,呢個分別仍然會被評分。如果你今年淨係肯學一對比較數量詞,呢對就係最常派上用場嘅一對。好消息係核心規律好易,而例外亦有限。
規則
教科書規則好直接。
- Fewer 配可數複數名詞 —— 可以一件件去數嘅嘢。Fewer books、fewer emails、fewer mistakes、fewer people。
- Less 配不可數名詞 —— 物質、抽象概念同整體數量。Less water、less time、less stress、less noise。
一句講晒:數得到嘅,用 fewer;倒出嚟或者感受到嘅,用 less。
有一個重要嘅現實例外:對於時間、金錢、距離同重量嘅量度,就算謹慎嘅講者都會用 less —— 因為個量度詞代表嘅係一個連續嘅數量,而唔係分開嘅物件。Less than five minutes、less than ten dollars、less than two miles、less than three pounds。啲數字睇落可數,但底下嘅數量係連續嘅,所以 less 聽落自然,亦被廣泛接受為標準。
跟住就係嗰個出名嘅告示牌:「10 items or less」。Native speaker 成日都咁講。規範文法學者就話應該用「fewer」。今時今日兩種形式喺字典同寫作風格指南裏面都有出現,而多數現代用法指南喺隨意語境裏面都接受 less 配可數複數。喺學校論文或者求職申請上面,可數名詞就用返 fewer。喺傾偈時,聽到或者講咗 less 都唔使恐慌。
錯誤 / 自然 / 點解
| 錯誤 | 自然 | 點解 |
|---|---|---|
| There are less people in the office today. | There are fewer people in the office today. | People 係可數複數;fewer 係謹慎嘅揀法。 |
| I have fewer money than last month. | I have less money than last month. | Money 不可數;用 less。 |
| She made fewer noise this time. | She made less noise this time. | Noise 不可數;less 啱用。 |
| Try to drink fewer coffee in the morning. | Try to drink less coffee in the morning. | Coffee 作為物質係不可數。 |
| We had fewer than ten dollars left. | We had less than ten dollars left. | 金錢嘅量度 —— 就算配複數數字,less 都係標準。 |
| Fewer than five minutes remain. | Less than five minutes remain. | 時間嘅量度同樣用 less。 |
| The new version has less features. | The new version has fewer features. | Features 係可數複數;喺書面語,大家會預期用 fewer。 |
| There are less reasons to worry now. | There are fewer reasons to worry now. | Reasons 係可數複數。 |
常見情境
喺超級市場。快速通道嘅告示牌寫「10 items or less」。有啲店悄悄噉改成「10 items or fewer」嚟討好文法學者。兩種大家都明。喺你自己嘅寫作裏面,偏好用 fewer items;喺隨意嘅口語裏面,兩個都得。
喺公司睇報告。你嘅主管講:「This draft has fewer typos than last week, but I still want less back-and-forth in email.」同一個人喺可數嘅 typos 用 fewer,喺不可數嘅 back-and-forth 用 less。呢種混用係標準嘅,值得學。
講時間。「The meeting will take less than thirty minutes.」「I have less than an hour before my flight.」雖然 minutes 同 hours 係可數嘅字眼,但量度嘅語境令 less 聽落啱。講 fewer than thirty minutes 技術上講得通,但喺自然口語裏面好少見。
比較 app 或者產品。「This phone has fewer apps preinstalled, which means less clutter and less battery drain.」Apps 可數,所以 fewer。Clutter 同 battery drain 抽象,所以 less。三個數量詞,三個正確嘅揀法。
喺健身室。朋友講:「I am trying to do fewer reps with more weight, and spend less time on cardio.」Reps 可數;time 唔係。喺好唔同嘅語境之間,個規律維持一致。
喺寫作考試。當你被評分嘅時候,預設用返嚴格規則:fewer 配可數,less 配不可數同量度。將寬鬆嘅用法留返畀隨意傾偈。
常見錯誤
- 因為 less 較短又聽落親切,就乜都預設用 less。Less people、less mistakes、less options —— 喺口語好常見,但喺書面語會被標出嚟。喺正式語境,要轉用 fewer。
- 因為個數字睇落可數,就喺量度上預設用 fewer。Fewer than five minutes 聽落生硬;幾乎人人都講 less than five minutes。
- 唔記得同一個名詞可以因應意思而擺向任何一邊。Less coffee(嗰種液體,不可數)vs fewer coffees(分開嘅杯數或者份數,可數)。兩個都可以啱。
- 喺單數不可數名詞用 fewer:fewer milk、fewer information。呢啲應該永遠係 less milk、less information。
- 將 less 同 least 混錯。Less 係比較級(兩者之間),least 係最高級(三者或以上)。Less stress than yesterday;the least stress all week。
- 想講 less 嘅時候講咗 more less。維持用單一個比較級 —— I want less sugar,唔係 more less sugar。
- 將 people、children 同 staff 當成不可數。喺謹慎嘅英文裏面佢哋配 fewer:fewer people、fewer children。Staff 兩者都可以,睇你係將佢當成一個整體定一班個體。
迷你練習
每格填 less 或者 fewer。
- We had ___ visitors than expected this weekend.
- She wants to spend ___ time on social media.
- There were ___ than three people in line.
- The recipe calls for ___ sugar than the old version.
- He made ___ mistakes on this test, which means ___ stress for everyone.
總結
可以數嘅嘢用 fewer,唔可以數嘅嘢用 less —— 唯獨係時間、金錢、距離同重量嘅量度,less 先係標準。喺書面語,跟返嚴格規則。喺口語,聽到 less 偷偷溜入可數複數裏面都唔使驚;native speaker 成日都咁做,連雜貨店嘅告示牌都係。
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