Texas Court Reporter Practice Exam

Which sentence is correct? "Jane purchased (fewer, less) items than Jake did."

1. Fewer

2. Less

3. Neither

4. Both are acceptable

The correct answer is: Fewer

The correct choice is "fewer." In English, "fewer" is used when referring to countable nouns, which are items that can be counted individually. In this case, "items" is a countable noun, as it is possible to count how many items Jane purchased. Therefore, it is grammatically accurate to say "Jane purchased fewer items than Jake did." On the other hand, "less" is used for uncountable nouns, which refer to substances or concepts that cannot be counted individually. Since "items" can be quantified (you can say you purchased three items, five items, etc.), "fewer" is the appropriate choice in this context. This distinction helps ensure clarity and precision in language use.