There were less than 20 students vs There were fewer than 20 students

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'There were less than 20 students' is commonly used in informal speech, while 'There were fewer than 20 students' is more appropriate for formal or written contexts. The choice between 'less' and 'fewer' depends on whether the noun being modified is countable or uncountable.

Last updated: March 17, 2024

There were less than 20 students

This phrase is commonly used in informal speech.

This phrase is used when referring to an amount of something that is not countable, such as time, money, or a collective noun like 'students.'

Examples:

There were less than 10 minutes left in the game.
I have less than $20 in my wallet.
There were less than 50 people at the concert.

Alternatives:

there was a small number of students
there were not many students
there were only a few students
there were a limited number of students
there were a small group of students

There were fewer than 20 students

This phrase is more appropriate for formal or written contexts.

This phrase is used when referring to a countable noun, such as 'students,' where the quantity can be individually counted.

Examples:

There were fewer than 5 people in the room.
I ate fewer than 3 cookies.
There were fewer than 10 cars in the parking lot.

Alternatives:

there was a small number of students
there were not many students
there were only a few students
there were a limited number of students
there were a small group of students

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There were less than 20 students vs There were fewer than 20 students