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BarbaraPA Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Less than/fewer than/under
0 Okay, I'm struggling with something that seems really simple. 02 br
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01 b 00 Although every effort is made to deliver orders by the requested date, we cannot guarantee delivery in less than 2 business days 02 b 02 br
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00 I'm the one who rejoiced when the supermarket changed its signs to read "12 items or fewer," so it's not that I don't know the difference between fewer and less. 02 br
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00 But I'm considering "2 business days" as a block, not as two countable days (since it could be four days if there is a weekend in the middle) and think that "less than" works. I think that "under" is too informal. I think that "in fewer than" just sound odd in this case. 02 br
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00 Am I losing my marbles? (Please, American experts - this is a local thing that doesn't need to work world-wide.) 02 br
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00 Thanks guys! 02 br
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00 0-
02 br
01 b 00 Although every effort is made to deliver orders by the requested date, we cannot guarantee delivery in less than 2 business days 02 b 02 br
02 br
00 I'm the one who rejoiced when the supermarket changed its signs to read "12 items or fewer," so it's not that I don't know the difference between fewer and less. 02 br
02 br
00 But I'm considering "2 business days" as a block, not as two countable days (since it could be four days if there is a weekend in the middle) and think that "less than" works. I think that "under" is too informal. I think that "in fewer than" just sound odd in this case. 02 br
02 br
00 Am I losing my marbles? (Please, American experts - this is a local thing that doesn't need to work world-wide.) 02 br
02 br
00 Thanks guys! 02 br
02 br
00 0-
Top answer
0 Hi Barb 02 br 02 br 00 The vote from Connecticut is that 'less' is just fine. htmlc here
- 0 Hi Barb 02 br 02 br 00 The vote from Connecticut is that 'less' is just fine.
- htmlc here
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5 Answers
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0 Hi Barb 02 br
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00 The vote from Connecticut is that 'less' is just fine. (Less than a specific 01 u 00 amount 02 u 00 of 01 u 00 time 02 u 00 .) 02 br
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00 EDIT: 02 i 02 br
00 There is a good usage note 05 0 00 . 0230href http://www.bartleby.com/61/67/F0096700.htmlc here
02 br
00 The vote from Connecticut is that 'less' is just fine. (Less than a specific 01 u 00 amount 02 u 00 of 01 u 00 time 02 u 00 .) 02 br
02 br
01 i 02 br
00 EDIT: 02 i 02 br
00 There is a good usage note 05 0 00 . 0230href http://www.bartleby.com/61/67/F0096700.htmlc here
00
0 Amy, thanks! 02 br
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00 This is just what I was looking for to show (myself) that I wasn't totally misguided: 01 i 00 Less than 02 i 00 can be used before a plural noun that denotes a measure of time, amount, or distance. 02 br
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00 Okay, I'm happy about my sentence now. 02 br
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00 (What I really wanted to write was "L
02 br
00 This is just what I was looking for to show (myself) that I wasn't totally misguided: 01 i 00 Less than 02 i 00 can be used before a plural noun that denotes a measure of time, amount, or distance. 02 br
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00 Okay, I'm happy about my sentence now. 02 br
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00 (What I really wanted to write was "L
00
0 01 blockquote
01 cite 10 Grammar Geek 12 cite 10 (What I really wanted to write was "Look, bucko, if your act wasn't together enough so that you only ordered them the day before you had to actually have them in hand, then I may not be able to help you!" But somehow, that didn't seem the right way to phrase it. Nonetheless, it was cathartic just writing it he
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0 01 blockquote
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00 (But I wouldn't use 01 i
01 i 10 Less than 12 i 10 can be used before a plural noun that denotes a measure of time, amount, or distance. 12 blockquote10 That gets my California vote too! Who in their right mind is going to say "He is fewer than 40 years old"? Or "It cost me fewer than $10"? 02 br
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00 (But I wouldn't use 01 i
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0 Yeah, I had to reluctantly shelve the "bucko" language. 02 br
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00 Thanks so much for your input. I really thought I was losing it. I shouldn't over-think these things. 0-
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00 Thanks so much for your input. I really thought I was losing it. I shouldn't over-think these things. 0-
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