The source of my information is a book I've mentioned before: "Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage."
Unfortunately, I'm unable to share all the information I have, for two reasons. First, this book is not online. Second, to post the article on this one question alone from the book, even if I had the time and energy to type it all in or to scan it, would be violating copyright laws.
The best thing I can do is to mention how the book is set up. When a question is discussed, countless written and spoken examples are given, and each example is linked to a name and a date.
When there is a "rule", the first appearance of the rule is given, the person who made the rule is given, the wording of the rule is given, and the date is given. If someone wants the exact words of the man who first suggested that "fewer" is a better choice than "less", I'll present it here next post.
I typed in example sentences given supporting the use of "fewer" and "less" for things that are countable. Later, if people want names and dates, I can provide that too.
Here are just SOME example sentences. It's a long article:
LESS:
The odometer showed less than ten thousand miles.
…he had something less than a million to his name when he went to Washington.
I was never in Europe less than fourteen months at a time.
…the present enrollment of less then 3,000 students.
Her agency, less than three years old, is a smashing success.
Begun with a capital of less than twenty pounds, it brought … financial security.
… an allied people, today less than 50,000 in number.
" … I've known you less than twenty-four hours. …"
FEWER:
… Dudek's car has fewer than 600 miles on the odometer.
… has never gained fewer than 1,222 yards in a season
From fewer than 15,000 in 1960, they reached 60,000 by 1970.
Less is preferred in these sentences, at least by the authors of this book:
… readers are encouraged to keep their comments to 500 words or less.
of all the millions of families in the country, two out of three consist of only three persons or less.
… and now know enough to create little fictions that in 30 seconds or less get right to the heart of desire itself.
In many sentences dealing with numbers, especially with math, "less" is the only choice.
The conclusion (less OF count nouns is not a typo):
The above examples show native speakers and writers using "less" of count nouns in various constructions. "Fewer" could have been used in many of them—at times it might have been more elegant, as Robert Baker thought—but in others no native speaker would use anything but "less". If you are a native speaker, your use of "less" and "fewer" can reliably be guided by your ear. If you are not a native speaker, you will find that the simple rule with which we started is a safe guide, except for the constructions for which we have shown "less" to be preferred.
(The "simple" rule is the one many people were taught in school.)
I hope this helps!
Gaer
Unfortunately, I'm unable to share all the information I have, for two reasons. First, this book is not online. Second, to post the article on this one question alone from the book, even if I had the time and energy to type it all in or to scan it, would be violating copyright laws.
The best thing I can do is to mention how the book is set up. When a question is discussed, countless written and spoken examples are given, and each example is linked to a name and a date.
When there is a "rule", the first appearance of the rule is given, the person who made the rule is given, the wording of the rule is given, and the date is given. If someone wants the exact words of the man who first suggested that "fewer" is a better choice than "less", I'll present it here next post.
I typed in example sentences given supporting the use of "fewer" and "less" for things that are countable. Later, if people want names and dates, I can provide that too.
Here are just SOME example sentences. It's a long article:
LESS:
The odometer showed less than ten thousand miles.
…he had something less than a million to his name when he went to Washington.
I was never in Europe less than fourteen months at a time.
…the present enrollment of less then 3,000 students.
Her agency, less than three years old, is a smashing success.
Begun with a capital of less than twenty pounds, it brought … financial security.
… an allied people, today less than 50,000 in number.
" … I've known you less than twenty-four hours. …"
FEWER:
… Dudek's car has fewer than 600 miles on the odometer.
… has never gained fewer than 1,222 yards in a season
From fewer than 15,000 in 1960, they reached 60,000 by 1970.
Less is preferred in these sentences, at least by the authors of this book:
… readers are encouraged to keep their comments to 500 words or less.
of all the millions of families in the country, two out of three consist of only three persons or less.
… and now know enough to create little fictions that in 30 seconds or less get right to the heart of desire itself.
In many sentences dealing with numbers, especially with math, "less" is the only choice.
The conclusion (less OF count nouns is not a typo):
The above examples show native speakers and writers using "less" of count nouns in various constructions. "Fewer" could have been used in many of them—at times it might have been more elegant, as Robert Baker thought—but in others no native speaker would use anything but "less". If you are a native speaker, your use of "less" and "fewer" can reliably be guided by your ear. If you are not a native speaker, you will find that the simple rule with which we started is a safe guide, except for the constructions for which we have shown "less" to be preferred.
(The "simple" rule is the one many people were taught in school.)
I hope this helps!
Gaer
