On proper grammar

Dear Editor:Gwen Alan's method for determining the use of "fewer" and "less" will work most of the time, but not in every case. The rule is to use "fewer" for things you can count and "less" for those things which cannot be counted, e.g., less water in the glass, but fewer glasses on the table. The same applies to the uses of "amount" and "number." Use "number" for things you can count and "amount" for things which cannot be counted, e.g., number of students in a class as opposed to the amount of learning that goes on. Doreen Lorand Downey

********** Published: November 1, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 29