庚 泽
responsibility is countable or uncountable ? "less responsibilities " is an expression I saw in a text. As I remember, less is before an uncountable noun. why not "fewer responsibilities" here ? Thanks
2012년 2월 9일 오전 4:06
답변 · 2
4
"Fewer responsibilities" is correct. The sentence you read is wrong. If you use 'responsibility', it is considered a quality and is therefore uncountable. "This job has less responsibility." "Responsibilities", however, is considered countable, because it is assumed that you could list them individually. "This job has fewer responsibilities."
2012년 2월 9일
I have SIX LESS EGGS than I had before, because I made an omelet. (12 - 6 = 6) I have TWO LESS RESPONSIBILITIES than I had before, because the brother and sister went home with their mother. (8 - 2 = 6) But the intended meaning of "less" here is similar to "subtract" or "minus" as you would use in a mathematical operation. On a grammar test where they are testing your knowledge of count and noncount nouns, choose "fewer responsibilities" for the reasons FDMAXEY explained above.
2012년 2월 9일
아직도 답을 찾지 못하셨나요?
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