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Vts nair Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Much less usage- explanation needed?

I'm not able to grasp the usage of much less in a sentence especially thinking of it in my native language. Would you please explain it with a few examples? Thank you.
  

Top answer

Hi. If you mentioned something, and the next thing you want to mention is less likely than the former you can, then, use much less/let alone. I can't ace my high school's test, much less Caltech's.

— Nugso

  • Hi.
  • If you mentioned something, and the next thing you want to mention is less likely than the former you can, then, use much less/let alone.
  • I can't ace my high school's test, much less Caltech's.
  • This clearly means Caltech's exam is more difficult than your high school's, and it means if you can't ace the easier one, you can't, as expected, ace the harder one.
  • -Do you want to me to add some weight your bar?
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3 Answers
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Hi. If you mentioned something, and the next thing you want to mention is less likely than the former you can, then, use much less/let alone.

I can't ace my high school's test, much less Caltech's.

This clearly means Caltech's exam is more difficult than your high school's, and it means if you can't ace the easier one, you can't, as expected, ace the harder one.

-Do you
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As well as the idiomatic usage mentioned by Nugso, there is of course the more literal usage, meaning "a much smaller quantity/amount of", e.g. "I have much less money than I need".
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vts nairthe usage of much less in a sentence
Adam has 25 pounds of sugar.
Bill has 23 pounds of sugar.
Carl has 1 pound of sugar.

Bill has less sugar than Adam has. (There is not much difference. Only 2 pounds.)
Carl has much less sugar than Adam has. (The difference is very great. 24 pounds.)

CJ
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