FEWER AND LESS 的用法比較說明

FEWER AND LESS 的英文文法

形容詞 FEWER 是 FEW 的比較級，LESS 是 LITTLE 的比較級。FEWER 後面接複數名詞；LESS 後面接不可數名詞。

We usually use less with uncountable nouns. We use fewer with plural nouns:

I do less work at weekends than I used to.

Better cycle routes would mean fewer cars and fewer accidents.

Fewer people than we expected attended the party.
出席宴會的人比我們預期的少。
people 是複數名詞。

Should you wash your dishes by hand, or does the dishwasher use less water?
你應該用手洗碗盤，還是用洗碗機會使用較少的水？
water 是不可數名詞。

Fewer 和 Less 分別為 few 和 little 的比較級，few 後接複數可數名詞，little 後接不可數名詞。但 few 跟 a few 的用法並不相同，few 意為「(少之又少) 幾乎沒有」，表否定，而 a few 意為「一些」，表肯定。Little 和 a little 的用法亦有如此的差異，little 意為「(少之又少) 幾乎沒有」，表否定，而 a little 意為「一些」，表肯定。例如：

Allen has few friends in Tokyo, does he? (艾倫在東京幾乎沒有朋友，對吧?)
Allen has a few friends in Tokyo, doesn’t he? (艾倫在東京有一些朋友，不是嗎?)
Mary got little help from John, did she? (瑪麗沒有從約翰那兒得到什麼幫助，對吧?)
Mary got a little help from John, didn’t she? (瑪麗從約翰那兒得到一些幫助，不是嗎?)

Few 可當代名詞和形容詞用，fewer (及最高級 fewest) 亦然。但 little 和 less (及最高級 least) 除了用作代名詞和形容詞外，還可當副詞用。例如：
Sam ate little, so I urged him to eat a little more. (山姆幾乎沒吃，所以我勸他多吃一些) － 句中的 little 和 a little 都是副詞用法。
I had fewer books than he did. (我擁有的書比他少)
I drank less coffee than she did. (我喝的咖啡比她少)
Eat less or you’re getting fatter and fatter. (吃少點，否則你會越來越胖) － 句中的 less 為副詞用法。

Fewer 欠缺的副詞用法，正是它經常被用錯的癥結所在，尤其是在 fewer than 的比較句型中。在「形容詞/副詞比較級 + than」的句型中，若主動詞為 BE 動詞，須使用形容詞比較級 + than，若主動詞為普通動詞，則須使用副詞比較級 + than。由於 fewer 僅能用作形容詞，不能當副詞用，因此它不是位在 BE 動詞或連綴動詞之後，就是位在名詞之前。例如：

Cars made in Korea are fewer than those made in Japan. (韓國車比日本車少)
He worked fewer hours than I did. (他的工作時數比我少)

所以，問題中的句子只能使用 less than，不可使用 fewer than，因為 less 是副詞，而 fewer 是形容詞：
Less than 200 people went to the party. (參加派對的人數不到兩百人) (正)
= Fewer people than 200 went to the party.
Fewer than 200 people went to the party. (誤)

如果你曾經像這樣用錯 fewer than 而被老師或指導教授責備，現在應該可以釋懷了，因為連英國人都會用錯，何況我們大多數人只是第二語言學習者。英國《太陽報》(The Sun) 2012 年 4 月初有一篇關於雙子宮婦女兩個子宮同時受孕懷雙胞胎的報導；該報在報導中使用了下面這個令筆者無言以對的句子：

Research shows fewer than 100 women worldwide have fallen pregnant with twins in separate wombs. (研究顯示，全世界兩個子宮同時受孕而懷雙胞胎的雙子宮婦女不到百人)

然而，no fewer than (不少於，至少 － 用於數字前，表示強調) 是固定用法，似乎不受上述語法的規範 (或許是一直用錯而不自知)，因為在若干英文辭典和正式文件中不時可見類似下面的句子：
There shall be no fewer than three guards on duty. (值班警衛不得少於三人)
No fewer than 50 celebrities went to the concert. (至少有 50 位名流出席音樂會)
The stadium holds no fewer than 100,000 people. (這個體育場能容納至少 10 萬人)

When we use fewer or less before articles (a/an, the), demonstratives (this, that), possessives (my, your) or pronouns (him, them), we need to use of. We use less of with singular nouns and fewer of with plural nouns:

It was funny to begin with, but as time went on, it became less of a joke.

In ten years’ time, more and more people will be demanding information twenty-four hours a day, from all parts of the world. Fewer of them will be getting that information from newspapers which arrive hours after the news has occurred.

The basic rule for precise use of “less” and “fewer” is simple (though we slip often). Use “fewer” with countable, individual things, and “less” with uncountable amounts, volumes, etc. So: “I should drink less coffee,” but “I should eat fewer doughnuts.”

But it’s not as simple as plural (fewer) vs. singular (less). Sometimes “less” is correct even with a plural noun. The Times’s stylebook says this:

Also use less with a number that describes a quantity considered as a single bulk amount: The police recovered less than $1,500; It happened less than five years ago; The recipe calls for less than two cups of sugar.

專業修改英文提高您學術英文論文被發表的機會︰修改英文

期刊論文中翻英翻譯服務︰論文翻譯    文章翻譯

英文文法目錄

句子的基本觀念

八大詞類

基本句型

英式英文與美式英文為何大不同？

從屬子句

英文文法-從屬子句

名詞子句主要功用是當主詞、受詞及補語，引導名詞子句的連接詞為that及wh之疑問詞。關於名詞子句的重要細節如下：

1. 名詞子句當主詞時，動詞要用單數。

例：

1. That honesty is the best policy is true.

2. What happened to him during those years has puzzled us.

2. that 所引導的名詞子句若當動詞之受詞，則 that 可以省略。

例：

1. I think (that) they all will come.

2. I believe (that) you will like the story.

3. that所引導的名詞子句前面不能有介系詞。

例：

1. I’m sure of that he is a French. (of要去掉)

2. We insisted on that he should come back soon. (on要去掉)

4. wh 所引導的名詞子句雖然語意上是表達疑問或不確定，但仍然不可用疑問句的形式。下列例句要做修改：

例：

1. I don’t know where is he.

改為→I don’t know where he is.

2. Do you know when will he come back?

改為→Do you know when he will come back?

3. They asked him why did he do it.

改為→They asked him why he did it.

註：直接問句仍然用疑問句形式。

例：Where is John?

“What does he do”John asked.

5. wh 所引導的名詞子句可簡化為不定詞片語的結構，但 why 例外。

例：

1. I haven’t decided whether I should take that course.

→I haven’t decide whether to take that course.

2. I don’t know where I can find him.

→I don’t know where to find him.

3. The meeting emphasized how people could stop smoking.

→The meeting emphasized how to stop smoking.

6. that 所引導的名詞子句可簡化為動名詞片語之結構，簡化的步驟為：(a)去掉that，(b)主詞改為所有格，(c)動詞改為動名詞。

例：

1. That David will come tomorrow excites all of us.

→David’s coming tomorrow excites all of us.

2. We are interested that he becomes an actor.

→We are interested in his becoming an actor.

3. I am glad that you tell me the truth.

→I am glad of your telling me the truth.

英文文法

專業修改英文提高您學術英文論文被發表的機會︰修改英文

期刊論文中翻英翻譯服務︰論文翻譯    文章翻譯

英文文法

連接詞

對等連接詞

從屬連接詞

獨立連接詞

從屬子句

名詞子句相關細節及簡化

形容詞子句重要細節及簡化

副詞子句的簡化

英文文法-比較的句型

1. 原級比較：

                                   adj

                                   adv

(a) 肯定：A+ V+ as+ many+複數名詞+as +B (A像B那樣…)

                                   much+單數名詞

                                          adj

                                         adv

(b) 否定：A+ V+ not as+ many+複數名詞+as+ B (A不像B那樣…)

                           not so    much+單數名詞

例：

1. He works as hard as I.

2. This book is not so interesting as that one.

3. I don’t have so much money as my brother.

請注意：肯定只能用“as…as”，不能用“so…as”。

2. 比較級：

(a) 肯定：A+ V+ more+ adj或adv+ than+ B (A比B還…)

                            adj+ er或adv+ er

(b) 否定：A+ V+ less+ adj或adv+ than+ B (A比B還不…)

例：

1. Steve runs faster than John.

2. Nothing is more important than water.

3. This sentence looks less easy than that one.

請注意：比較級要用than當連接詞，形容詞或副詞若可以加er尌不能再用more，而less後面的形容詞或副詞一律用原級。

3. 最高級：

                                                               in

(a) 肯定：S+ V+ the most+ adj或adv+ of + 名詞片語 (最…)

                                                               among

                                                               in

(b) 否定：S+ V+ the least+ adj或adv+ of +名詞片語 (最不…)

                                                               among

例：

1. He is the most famous of all the painters.

= of all the painters he is the most famous.

2. Robert is the tallest among his classmates.

= Among his classmates Robert is the tallest.

3. He is the least known(最不出名) of the modern poets.

= Of the modern poets he is the least known.

請注意下列要點：

1. 形容詞或副詞若可以加 est，尌不能再用 most。

2. 最高級是指三者以上，故介系詞後用的名詞應用複數。

3. 最高級後面的介系詞片語常常可以移至句首。

4.

A+ be junior to+ B (A比B還年青)

A+ be senior to+ B (A比B還年長)

A+ be superior+ to+ B (A比B還優越)

A+ be inferior to+ B (A在B還差)

A+ be prior to+ B (A在B之前)

A+ be posterior to+ B (A在B之後)

上列結構本身即比較的意思，故不能再加more，且因有to，故不可再加than。

5. The+比較級+S+ V，the+比較級+S+ V：表達“愈…尌愈”。

例：

1. The greater the gains (利潤) are, the higher the risks (風險) are.

2. The higher the mountain is, the colder it is.

6. 倍數：

(a) A+ V+倍數+as many as+ B’s

                              much

= A+ V+倍數+the number of+ B’s

                             amount of

(表達“A剛好是B數倍”，可數用many, number，不可數用much, amount)

(b) A+ V+倍數+more than+ B’s (表達“A超出B的數倍以上”)

例：1. My money is three times as much as yours.

2. My money is three times the amount of yours.

3. My books are three times more than yours.

7. 比較級可以加er，最高級可以加est的形容詞與副詞：

(a) 單音節皆可，如long, short, great, high, strong, weak, young, light等等。

(b) 雙音節則以少許由y結尾者，如happy, early, angry, lazy, pretty, wealthy等。

專業修改英文提高您學術英文論文被發表的機會︰修改英文

期刊論文中翻英翻譯服務︰論文翻譯    文章翻譯

英文文法

假設語氣與倒裝

If 所引導的假設語氣

其它假設語氣句型

倒裝

比較

比較的句型

比較的平行，加強比較的用字，比較的倒裝，比較的累贅

英文文法-介系詞的結構特性及功用

1. 介系詞之結構特性：介係詞後面接名詞片語，受格代名詞或動名詞，這些都是用來做介系詞之受詞。

例：

1. Many people in Taiwan are dissatisfied(不滿意)with their living conditions.(名詞片語當with之受詞)

2. My sister is good at playing the piano.(名詞片語當at之受詞)

3. I will go out with her.(代名詞當with之受詞)

結構思考：介系詞+_____

2. 介系詞之功用：介系詞片語可以當形容詞，亦可作副詞。

例：1.The girl with a red hat is Jane.(當形容詞，修飾girl)

2.He came back in the morning.(當副詞，修飾came back)

3.The professor explained the course in detail.(當副詞，修飾explained)

4.Like his brother, Steve works hard.(當副詞，修飾後面整句)

英文文法

專業修改英文提高您學術英文論文被發表的機會︰修改英文

期刊論文中翻英翻譯服務︰論文翻譯    文章翻譯

英文文法 

修飾語 (形容詞與副詞)

形容詞的功用與位置

副詞的功用與位置

分詞

否定用字

介係詞

介系詞的結構特性及功用

容易混淆的介系詞

介系詞常考片語

英文文法-形容詞的功用與位置

1. 功用：形容詞的功用是修飾名詞或當名詞的補語。

例：

1. It is an important book about American history. (修飾book)

2. Food is necessary for our life. (當主詞補語)

3. The story made me sad. (當受詞me的補語)

2. 位置：形容詞常見的位置如下：

(a)adj+ N：形容用來修飾名詞通常應擺在名詞之前。

例：1. Many students are interested in practical subjects such as international trade.

(b) S+ V+ adj或S+ V+ O+ adj：此種位置是屬於補語的位置，亦即形容詞用來當作主詞補語或受詞補語。 (請參考第一章第三節基本句型)

例：

1. He looks upset about the decision. (當主詞補語)

2. The oranges taste delicious. (當主詞補語)

3. Eating too much always makes me uncomfortable. (受詞補語)

4. We find it interesting to read novels. (受詞補語)

註：大部份的形容詞都可用於(a)或(b)的位置，但有一類以a為開頭的形容詞，如alike(像的)，alone(單獨的)，alive(活的)，afraid(害怕的)，awake(醒的)只能用於(2)的位置，當補語功用。

例：

1. The two brothers are very much alike.

2. He was alone in the house.

(c) 以~one, ~thing, ~body為結尾的名詞中，形容詞擺在這類名詞的後面。

例：

1. I am looking for something cheaper.

2. There is nothing interesting about the story.

(d) n+數目 the+序數+n

例：

1. Gate Five = the Fifth Gate

2. World War Two = the Second World War

(e) S+ be+ p.p.+ adj：此種結構表達主詞“被認為‥”，“被發現‥”，“被證明為‥”，故用adj當主詞補語。常用的動詞有consider, believe, think, find, prove。

例：

1. He was considered innocent.

2. He was found dead in the morning.

3. The merchandise is proven dangerous.

英文文法

專業修改英文提高您學術英文論文被發表的機會︰修改英文

期刊論文中翻英翻譯服務︰論文翻譯    文章翻譯

英文文法

代名詞的格，反身代詞

不定代名詞

that-those, there-it, this-which

代名詞與先行詞的一致，代名詞的累贅

英文文法-代名詞的格，反身代詞

代名詞的格可分為主格、受格、所有格及所有格代名詞。主格的功用是當主詞，包括 I, we, you, he, she, it, they；受格是當動詞或介系詞的受詞。包括me, us, you, him, her, it, them；所有格當形容詞功用，後面接名詞，包括my, our, your, his, her, its, their；所有格代名詞等於所有格+名詞，包括mine, ours, his, hers, theirs.

例：

1. Nobody except him can solve our problem. (him當介系詞except之受詞)

2. Tom took an apple to school；he ate it at lunch time. (it當動詞ate之受詞)

3. Mary and Bob have their books；in other words, Mary has hers, and Bob has his.

反身代名詞包括 myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, themselves等，其要點如下：

1. 反身代名詞可以用來當加強語氣，加強主詞本身。

例：

1. They themselves did it = They did it themselves.

2. 反身代名詞可以作動詞或介系詞的受詞，但一定要滿足一個條件，即要等於主詞本身，若不等於主詞本身，則不用反身代名詞。

例：

1. The old man was talking to himself. (等於The old man)

2. They disguised themselves so well that we could not recognize them. (themselves等於主詞 They，them 不等於主詞we)

英文文法

代名詞的格，反身代詞

不定代名詞

that-those, there-it, this-which

代名詞與先行詞的一致，代名詞的累贅

英文文法

專業修改英文提高您學術英文論文被發表的機會︰修改英文

期刊論文中翻英翻譯服務︰論文翻譯    文章翻譯