关于less,fewer 的比较问题， 大家一起来把这种类型的题目搞懂

棒棒dudu

三道题 完全搞糊涂了
（1）When drive-ins were at the height of their popularity in the late 1950’s, some 4,000 existed in the United States, but today <there are less than one-quarter that many>.

a,  there are less than one-quarter that many
b,  there are fewer than one-quarter as many
c,  there are fewer than one-quarter of that amount
d,  the number is less than one-quarter the amount
e,  it is less than one-quarter of that amount
Answer  c

(2)For the first time in the modern era, non-Hispanic Whites are officially a minority in California, 《which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly there-quarters only a decade ago.》

answer ：amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly three-quarters a decade ago

（3) Because natural gas is composed mostly of methane， a simple hydrocarbon， vehicles powered by natural gas emit< less of certain pollutants than the burning of gasoline or diesel fuel.>
A less of certain pollutants than the burning of gasoline or diesel fuel　　
B fewer of certain pollutants than burning gasoline or diesel fuel do　　
C less of certain pollutants than gasoline or diesel fuel　　
D fewer of certain pollutants than does burning gasoline or diesel fuel
E less of certain pollutants than those burning gasoline or diesel fuel
answer: E
这三道题中用less or fewer 应该不是看可数或不可数来判断的吧？ 这类型的题真的不会做！

lqguanmengjia

As rainfall began to decrease in the Southwest about the middle of the twelfth century,most of the Monument Valley Anasazi abandoned their homes to join other clans whose access to water was less limited.
A.whose access to water was less limited
B.where there was access to water that was less limited
C.where they had less limited water access
D.with less limitations on water access
E.having less limitations to water access
答案是A.
D,E。 OG 认为Limitation is a countable quantitiy ,so it must be modified by fewer, not less. 我也搞混了。nn出来解释下吧

silent7706

As rainfall began to decrease in the Southwest about the middle of the twelfth century,most of the Monument Valley Anasazi abandoned their homes to join other clans whose access to water was less limited.
A.whose access to water was less limited
B.where there was access to water that was less limited
C.where they had less limited water access
D.with less limitations on water access
E.having less limitations to water access
答案是A.
D,E。 OG 认为Limitation is a countable quantitiy ,so it must be modified by fewer, not less. 我也搞混了。nn出来解释下吧

-- by 会员 lqguanmengjia (2010/8/8 9:43:43)

顶一个.

springhot

第一题正确答案是B
,  there are fewer than one-quarter as many

第二题：
population is not countable, so use less than haf

第三题：
"less of certain pollutants" means "less amount of certain polluants" not fewer types of pollutants, so use  less

OG
less here is adv. , 修饰limited， just like, less expensive, less happy etc

Hope this helps

棒棒dudu

UP 求分析

棒棒dudu

UP

杨东芳

先说第一题，答案是B，划线部分要说的是现如今的drive-ins 少于四分之一，drive-in是复数，所以C,D,E中的amount错，因为amount只能修饰不可数名词，剩下A和B,这就更好排除了，less修饰不可数名词，所以选B,B选项中的as many虽然看起来别扭，但是这种说法确实存在，就不要纠结它为什么可以这么写了，不然头会越来越大，可以参照Manhattan论坛的ron的解释http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/post36951.html#p36951

杨东芳

我把原题贴出来
For the first time in the modern era, non-Hispanic Whites are officially a minority in
California, which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from
nearly three-quarters only a decade ago.

A. which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from
nearly three-quarters only a decade ago
B. which amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a
decade ago, when it was nearly three-quarters
C. and that amounts to a little less than half the population of the state, down from a
decade ago, when they were nearly three-quarters
D. amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from nearly
three-quarters a decade ago
E. amounting to a little less than half the population of the state, down from what it
was a decade ago by nearly three-quarters
第二题和less 没什么关系，因为所有选项都是less than ，出题点实在代词it指代问题，还有修饰问题，A和B中的which只能就近指代California，逻辑不对，C的that也是没有指代对象，如果是指代 non-Hispanic Whites ，amount也应是用复数谓语动词而不是amounts，E选项中的it没有指代对象，一般在og中it is。。。的句型的it 才是对的

饭饭609

（3) Because natural gas is composed mostly of methane， a simple hydrocarbon， vehicles powered by natural gas emit< less of certain pollutants than the burning of gasoline or diesel fuel.>
A less of certain pollutants than the burning of gasoline or diesel fuel　　
B fewer of certain pollutants than burning gasoline or diesel fuel do　　
C less of certain pollutants than gasoline or diesel fuel　　
D fewer of certain pollutants than does burning gasoline or diesel fuel
E less of certain pollutants than those burning gasoline or diesel fuel
answer: E

这道题比较的主语是vehicles，是烧天然气的汽车和烧汽油，柴油的汽车比较。看E选项，than 后面给出了those, 指代vehicles。

杨东芳

再来看第三题，本题的考点主要是比较对象要对等，看原文，比较的是主语，一个是用天然气的交通工具，一个是用柴油和石油的交通工具，也就是E的使用天然气的交通工具  比   使用柴油和石油的交通工具  释放的某种污染物少。E选项中的those指代前面出现的vehicles，由于谓语动词一样都是emit，就省略了。返回来再看less和few，pollutants既可以是可数也可以是不可数，当表示好几种不同的污染物时，就是可数，当只表示一种污染物时，形容其数量就是不可数，本题中说的是某种污染物因此是不可数。
总结:当看不出less 和 few 哪个是对时，看其他考点，ETS一般是不会在一道题中设一个考点的，一个选项通常包含好几个错误点，因此不要死专一个