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JungKim Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

He has no less than four children.

Does this mean that he has at least four children?
Or that he has four children, which I think is a lot.
  

Top answer

Hi, The latter. For the former meaning, one would normally say it another way. Clive

  • Hi, The latter.
  • For the former meaning, one would normally say it another way.
  • Clive
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8 Answers
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Hi,

The latter.

For the former meaning, one would normally say it another way.

Clive
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Hi Clive,
Thanks for your prompt response.
I'm no native speaker of English and I had learned and memorized that your answer is the right one.
The reason I'm asking this question, though, is that a prominent grammar book (The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, aka CGEL) appears to be saying otherwise. On page 363 of the CGEL, it says, and I quote, "[the sentence] gives the lowe
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Hi,

It could mean that he has 100 children.

But language is not like mathematics.
Let me ask you this. Are you at all interested in what people actually and naturally say, or do you just want to know what is theoretically possible?
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It depends to some extent on the context. My first reaction was to say that he has at least four children and that he may well have more but we can't tell from the sentence.

On further reflection I can envision a context where the speaker is saying that he has four children and is expressing surprise or mild disapproval at the number of children he has.

I would need to see the co
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Hi,

Let's not even get into whether one should say
'no less than' or 'no fewer than'.
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CliveLet's not even get into whether one should say 'no less than' or 'no fewer than'.
Agreed, that way lies madness.
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Hi Clive,

I am of course interested in what's actually/naturally spoken. That's why I'm here to ask you.
Now the very reason why I asked the question in the first place was that I was taught to differentiate "no less than" from "not less than". Some grammar books I'd read specifically contrasted the two expressions to be two different things, "no less than" subjectively emphasizing a
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Hi,

You say that you are interested in what is actually/naturally spoken. To my mind, that's the best approach.
I suggest that you try to create each kind of context, in the form of two short dialogues between two people.. Then we can discuss them more fruitfully.

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