Key Difference

• “Less” is typically used for quantity, amount, or degree, especially with uncountable nouns.
• “Lesser” is used to indicate something of smaller importance, rank, or degree, often in a more formal or literary context.

Now, let’s dive deeper into each!

1. Using “Less”

“Less” is commonly used when discussing amounts or quantities, especially with uncountable nouns (nouns that you can’t count individually, like water, time, or money).

• Examples:
  • “She drank less water than usual.” (water = uncountable noun)
  • “We have less time left to finish the project.” (time = uncountable noun)

Key Point:

• Use “less” when referring to a smaller amount of something that cannot be individually counted.
  • Example: “There’s less pollution this year.”

2. Using “Lesser”

“Lesser” is a bit different. It’s usually used in more formal or comparative contexts to talk about importance, rank, or quality rather than quantity. Think of it as describing something with a lower degree of significance or priority.

• Examples:
  • “He chose the lesser of two evils.” (meaning a choice between two unfavorable options, picking the less bad one)
  • “The tiger is a lesser-known animal in that region.” (meaning not as well-known or popular)

Key Point:

• Use “lesser” when emphasizing that something is less important, less powerful, or of lower status.
  • Example: “She gave her attention to lesser concerns first.”

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is to use “lesser” when “less” is more appropriate:

• Incorrect: “We need a lesser amount of sugar.”
• Correct: “We need less sugar.”

Practice Time!

Choose the correct word, “less” or “lesser,” to complete each sentence:

1. The company decided to spend _______ on marketing this year.
2. Among the two proposals, the manager chose the _______ important one to reject.
3. We have _______ time to finish this report than expected.
4. In terms of importance, his new project was given _______ priority.

Answers:

1. The company decided to spend less on marketing this year.
2. Among the two proposals, the manager chose the lesser important one to reject.
3. We have less time to finish this report than expected.
4. In terms of importance, his new project was given lesser priority.