Mekita Rivas, SNR communications associate, publishes a biweekly feature called "Grammar Guru."
Every other week, the Grammar Guru will share writing tips to help make your work as polished as possible. Some of these tips may address common spelling errors, while others will examine the many nuances of the English language.
Grammar Guru Tip #9
When counting things, it's common for people to mistakenly think that "fewer" and "less" are interchangeable terms. However, be warned, that is not the case.
Use "fewer" when discussing countable objects. Use "less" for intangible concepts, like time.
Example:
NOT: He had less pieces of chocolate than her.
BUT: He had fewer pieces of chocolate than her.
NOT: I spent fewer than two hours studying.
BUT: I spent less than two hours studying.
Need some grammar guidance? The UNL Style Guide (http://unlcms.unl.edu/ucomm/styleguide/) is a great resource for all university employees. If you have writing questions that the style guide doesn't answer, feel free to email the Grammar Guru at mrivas@unl.edu.