Common English Errors

When it comes to the use of “little/less/few/fewer”, quite a few non-native speakers of English fumble, quite easily.

Indeed, the difference between “less/few” can confuse many learners of English. More often, the choice also depends on the context of the sentence.

For your information, I’ve already written an easy-to-follow guide on how to use “less vs few” without any confusion.

Speaking of context, take a look at the following examples, and pick the right alternative.

If you think the answer is “fewer” in all of the examples above, I’m afraid it’s incorrect.

The right answer is “less”.

Note: The last example may be confusing to many as “words” is a countable noun. I highly recommend reading this post by Anne Curzan to understand the distinction better .

The reason is simple – even though we use “fewer” for countable nouns, here, as per the context, “three hundred kilometers, 60 dollars, 20 minutes, and 100 words” are more about distance, money, time, and length respectively. Therefore, we should use less rather than fewer.

There’s a strong reason why I cited these examples before discussing “one less thing vs one fewer thing” argument.

Okay, now, let’s take a look at the examples below.

A lot of non-native English learners tend to wonder if “one less” thing is incorrect since we’re talking about a list of challenges here.

However, the logic is quite different here.

Let’s first discuss why “one fewer” would be incorrect.

As per the rules, “fewer” applies to more than one of something.

In the example above, we are only talking about “that one thing” and not a bunch of things. Hence, “fewer” is incorrect.

Why “One Less Thing”?

It has a lot to do with the context. When we talk about a list of things, we essentially mean that it’s an endless effort in the grand scheme of life. When you imagine the list of tasks you must accomplish in your entire life, it’d seem virtually immeasurable. In other words, it’s like time or distance. Hence, it’d be “less” rather than “fewer”.

There’s another way to explain our answer as well.

If you try to rewrite or interpret the sentence above, it would read like:

“I now have less to worry about, by one thing”. (Sounds Right)

If we try to replace “less” with “fewer” in this sentence, it would read like:

“I now have fewer to worry about, by one thing”. (Sounds Strange)

One Less Thing vs One Thing Less

If you’re wondering if you should use “one less thing” or “one thing less”, rest assured both are correct. However, “one less thing” is more common than “one thing less”.

So, here’s the recap of what we’ve discussed in this guide so far.

Let me know if you have any questions.

There’s a difference between writing emails to friends and writing emails to your boss at work.

It’s the quality of grammar and correct spelling, and tone that matters a lot in business email writing.

We tend to be laid-back while writing emails to friends and family because it’s a casual or semi-casual communication –  there’s nothing to lose if they find a few errors.

However, you can’t afford to do so when, for example, you’re applying for a job to your prospective employer.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t really write their business emails seriously enough even when they know it’s crucial to their job. Many don’t even know how to write a proper business email.

Here’s in this article, I’m going to share with you a few tips which will help you write proper business emails without committing any silly English errors.

First off, let’s look at an outline of a typical business email with different fragments.

• Opening (informal greeting)
• Referring to previous emails (format tone)
• Stating the purpose of email (formal tone)
• Making requests (formal tone)
• Referring to attachments (formal tone)
• Promising actions (formal tone)
• Closing (informal greeting)

Opening of a Business Email

The opening of a business email usually carries an informal or casual tone. For example:

Hey Rand,

I hope you’re doing well! / How was your weekend? / How was your day off? / Hope you had a restful weekend! / How are you doing today?

Referring to Previous Emails

Before stating the purpose of your email, relate it to any of your previous correspondences. It usually carries a formal tone. For example:

• With regards to your request for a quote…
• In reference to our telephone conversation last week…
• Further to our discussion at the meeting yesterday…

Stating the Purpose of Your Email

After referring to the previous correspondence, you need to state the purpose of your email. It usually carries a formal tone. For example:

• I’d like you to have a look at the quote.
• I’m writing to share my ideas on the project.

Making Requests in Business Emails

If you’re requesting the recipient of something, you need to use a formal tone and articulate your voice to make the best impact possible. For example:

• I was wondering if you could allow me a day off!
• Could you please let me know the status of the project?
• It’d be great if you could keep me informed on the progress!

Referring to Attachments

This is one of the most crucial parts of business emails. Many tend to phrase their sentences incorrectly while referring to attachments.

I’ve written a very comprehensive post on how to refer to email attachments.

Here are some examples:

• Please, see the attached report for your easy reference!
• Kindly, review the attached proposal and let me know your thoughts!
• Could you approve the attached quote!

Promising Actions

Depending on the context of your email, you can promise some action in order to set an impetus to your communication. You should usually use a formal tone here. For example:

• I’ll get back to you after reviewing your proposal.
• I’ll keep you posted on the progress of the project.
• I’ll let you know the status of your interview by next week.

Closing a Business Email

You can close a business email with a casual or informal tone. This is a business courtesy. For example:

• Have a great weekend!
• Enjoy your day off!
• All the best!
• Keep up the great work!

Note: Remember to sign off your business emails in the following ways:

• Thank You or Thanks
• Cheers
• Regards or Warm Regards
• Take Care

Avoid the Following Mistakes in Business Emails

The way you write your business emails reflects a lot of your professionalism. There are a number of online resources (including Google Search) to help you hone your email writing skills.

There are no excuses for making mistakes.

Let’s take a look at some business email writing mistakes frequently committed at workplaces.

Including Exclusive Pronouns

Today, the workplace ambience is increasingly becoming more politically correct than ever. Using male pronouns while referring to female recipients is highly uncalled for.

To avoid this, use “him/her” or “his/hers”.

However, with the emergence of non-binary pronouns, you need to be more careful about referring to genders. Here’s an insightful article on BBC.

Being Confused about Similar Sounding Words

There are quite a few similar sounding words that easily confuse many. However, when you write business emails in a professional environment, you should brush up your elementary grammar to avoid any confusion. Keep a list of those common mix-ups and learn how to avoid them while writing emails.

Learn the Difference Between:

• It’s and Its
• Between/Among
• Loose/Lose
• Their/There
• Than/Then
• Accept/Except

Using CAPS

Using all upper case is considered a lack of etiquette in the online world, unless, of course, you want to yell at someone.

Similarly, don’t use multiple exclamation points/ questions marks/ dots.

The following examples sound odd in business emails.

• How are you doing????
• Please, let me know the status of the project!!!
• I’ll wait for your reply…

Proofread Your Business Emails

Always proofread your emails before sending them. Install Grammarly’s browser extension – I’ve found this extremely useful. The good news is it’s totally free!

Here’s a screenshot of Grammarly browser extension in action.

Grammarly is arguably the most effective online grammar checker in the world right now. It’s free to sign up for Grammarly.

Hope you find these tips useful for writing business emails. Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.

At times, English can be extremely confusing to people who don’t use it as their first language. There are many instances of wrong usages which lead to wrong conclusions. The users may not be aware of the mistakes because they are not familiar with the nuances of the usages.

Almost every day, I see people use less instead of little and less instead of fewer. So, I have decided to point out the mistakes and clarify the confusion once and for all.

Little vs Less

Let’s take a look at the following examples:

Wrong: I find it very difficult to manage my monthly expenses because I get less salary.

Right: I find it very difficult to manage my monthly expenses because I get little salary.

Explanation:

By the very definition, little refers a small size, amount or degree of something. Therefore, when you want to say the salary you get is inadequate or insufficient for your monthly expenses, the right word is use little and not less.

Moreover, you can use very to intensify the statement. For example, very little salary. (not very less salary)

Less is used to express inadequacy or insufficiency of something, but only in a comparative sense. So when you say less salary, it sounds like you’re comparing your salary with someone who gets more than you do. In fact, you are expected to use than when you use an adjective (little) in its comparative form (less).

For example:

He makes less money than her wife does.

The above statement doesn’t imply his salary is inadequate. It simply implies it is less in amount as compared to his wife’s salary. After all, adequacy is a relative term. Even if you make $200,000 per annum, it may not be sufficient.

Less vs Fewer

Let’s take a look at the following examples:

Wrong: There are less eggs in the fridge than you think.

Right: There are fewer eggs in the fridge than you think.

Explanation:

Technically, fewer is the comparative form of few which is used with countable, plural nouns. In other words, fewer refers quantities that can be counted individually.

For example: There were fewer students in school due to the stormy weather. (not less student)

Less is the comparative form of little which is used with uncountable, singular nouns. In other words, less is used for collective quantities that are not counted individually and for abstract characteristics.

For example: I’d like to put less salt in my soup. (not fewer salt)

Some more examples:

I used to make much less money two years ago.

I have fewer pairs of shoes than I used to have.

She left less than five minutes ago.

I have fewer perfume bottles than I used to have until a few years ago, and I tend to wear a lot less perfume at work these days.

Hope this helps clarify your doubts, and you make fewer mistakes while using little/less/few moving forward.

That was just an example. Honestly, I’d hope you didn’t make any mistakes at all.

References: My English Teacher | Stack Exchange

Fewer vs Less Examples

• A school teacher would make less money than a school principal.
• I’d visit my Rand’s house every weekend, but now we have less time.
• There are fewer biscuits in the box than I had expected.
• He has fewer friends in this town than his father.

Using Less/Fewer with OF

For example:

• I wish you spent less of your salary on paying rent!
• There are fewer of them at the school reunions each year.
• Fewer of the students were on Facebook than we’d expected.
• Does he still smoke a lot cigarettes these days? No, I smoke much less of those these days.

If the NOUN doesn’t have a DETERMINER, don’t use OF before nouns.

For example:

• I’m eating less chocolate these days because I want to lose weight.
• Fewer people in my gym have strictly balanced diets.
• Danny has fewer employees than he needed to take up the big project.
• If you think less time would’ve forced him to evacuate his room, you’re wrong.

Update: We’ve edited this article based on the feedback given by Andrew Evans. Please, see his comment below. For more explanation, please, follow this thread.