求助，PREP一题～～关于单复数修饰问题～～～

淡水河边

There is a widespread belief in the United States and Western Europe that young people have a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents and that the source of the change lies in the collapse of the "work ethic."

(A) a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents
(B) less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents
(C) a smaller commitment to work and a career than that of their parents and grandparents
(D) less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents had
(E) a lessening of the commitment to work and a career that their parents and grandparents had


答案是D，但是这里的a commitment是可数名词（因为有a），那为什么之前用less呢？这个less of 怎么解释？

在做这道题的时候排除的顺序是什么？

求解

crystalvine212

其实我在做这题的时候没有把单复数作为重点
说下我的思路吧
AB肯定排了，由于后面没有助动词had导致比较对象不对
C 本题比的是youg people 和 parents and grandparents 的'a smaller commitment to work' AND 'a career'
that不能指代的'a smaller commitment to work' AND 'a career'
吧？
再比较DE 根据语义 a lessening of 没有对比的意思 只是减缓吧 选D。

另外：
这里的用 less of~ 即承担a commitment的份额少了
a commitment应该不会变smalller吧 ，变少要不变小在句意上更合理吧

lu80

楼上的做题方法很好！谢！

问1：less 在本句中是否同时充当名词的作用？

比如：Yet this mix of history, politics and culture may turn out to be much less of a draw than either Mr Salmond hopes or Mr Gallagher fears.

问2：a commitment to work and a career为什么有两个“a”？感觉和助于young people，以及后面的their不一致。