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Less and Fewer

Less is the comparative of little. It is used before uncountable nouns.

• I have less money than you.
• He was less hurt than frightened.
• Tom is less clever than his brother.

Fewer is the comparative of few. It is used before plural nouns.

• Fewer people live to be hundred.

In an informal style, less is quite common before plural nouns. Some people consider this incorrect.

• I have got less problems than I used to have. (Less formal than I have got fewer problems than I used to have.)

Less/fewer of

Before determiners (articles, demonstratives and possessives) and pronouns we use less of and fewer of.

• I would like to spend less of my time travelling. (NOT … less my time traveling.)
• I want less of this and more of that. (NOT I want less this …)

Before nouns without determiners, of is not used.

• If you want to lose weight, eat less food. (NOT … less of food.)
• Fewer people live to be hundred. (NOT Fewer of people …)

Lesser

Lesser means ‘not so much’. It is used in a few expressions.

a lesser-known writer
the lesser of two evils.

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