Question about the table

[Bubbly4Me]

Excuse my ignorance, but why are we placed behind QPR in the table when we have the same points and goal difference, yet we have played one less game?

[AthleticoSpizz]

alphabetical?

[Arnie_Pie]

R comes after Q.

[Row Z Royal]

Excuse my ignorance, but why are we placed behind QPR in the table when we have the same points and goal difference, yet we have played one less game?

Next in line is goals scored.

[Arch]

They've scored more goals

[Bubbly4Me]

OK, thanks Goals scored makes sense.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

HAs anyone mentioned that they have scored more goals??

[Ian Royal]

Excuse my ignorance, but why are we placed behind QPR in the table when we have the same points and goal difference, yet we have played one less game?

[Dirk] FEWER!!! [Dirk/]

[Bubbly4Me]

Excuse my ignorance, but why are we placed behind QPR in the table when we have the same points and goal difference, yet we have played one less game?

[Dirk] FEWER!!! [Dirk/]

Eh?

[Jack Celliers]

Excuse my ignorance, but why are we placed behind QPR in the table when we have the same points and goal difference, yet we have played one less game?

[Dirk] FEWER!!! [Dirk/]

One less game is absolutely fine. Look on the internet.

[weybridgewanderer]

The conservative rule is that fewer is used with count nouns, and less with non-count nouns: fewer chairs but less butter.

The most important thing to appreciate here is the distinction between countable and non-countable things. This distinction is not always clear, but it usually is. If you consider people, you can always count them. (Even conjoined twins count as two distinct people.) There is always a distinct number of people in any given group. Contrast this with a quantity of water. Water is not a countable thing, even though it is measurable.

As games are countable I believe it should be fewer games

Put simply, "fewer" applies to the countable items, and "less" applies to the measurable items.

Sometimes a particular thing can be expressed as a countable or a measurable just by changing the form of the word slightly. An example of this would be "clothes" (countable), and clothing (measurable). Actually, "clothing" isn't something that you'd measure on any formal scale, but you always know that removing some clothing results in a decrease, and adding some clothing results in an increase.

If it's too warm for you, wear fewer clothes, or less clothing.

Much and Many follow the same rules

You ask "how many coins?", but you ask "how much money?".

So if you want to use the "correct" word, given a choice of "fewer" and "less", ask yourself is it "too many" (implying "fewer"), or "too much" (implying "less"). For some reason the distinction between "much" and "many" hasn't been as confused as "less" and "fewer". Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that "less" and "fewer" have the same opposite: "more". There's no distinction between countable and measurable with "more". You can have more apples in your basket, or more applesauce on your pork, whereas you should have fewer apples in your basket and less applesauce on your pork. "Much" and "many", on the other hand, have distinct opposites in "little" and "few".

Many people are ignorant of the distinctions I've described here, resulting in much improper use. I hope this little bit of information, these few words of advice, have granted you more understanding of the issue. Perhaps now you will make fewer mistakes thanks to your increased awareness, and thus make it less of an issue for pedants such as Dirk.

[Platypuss]

Sorry Jack - pressed edit instead of reply

I'll take more care in future and try to make fewer mistakes.

[Row Z Royal]

Sorry Jack - pressed edit instead of reply

I'll take more care in future and try to make fewer mistakes.

Eh?

[Bubbly4Me]

Thanks for the explanation waybridgewanderer An interesting read.

I will say, however, I couldn't use "fewer" as I was stating an exact number of games (one).

[weybridgewanderer]

Thanks for the explanation waybridgewanderer An interesting read.

I will say, however, I couldn't use "fewer" as I was stating an exact number of games (one).

we have played one fewer game, or alternatively we have played one game fewer. I do not see why could you not use fewer?

[Platypuss]

Thanks for the explanation waybridgewanderer An interesting read.

I will say, however, I couldn't use "fewer" as I was stating an exact number of games (one).

You can count "1", so fewer it is.

[Jack Celliers]

[quote="weybridgewanderer"]Loads of stuff about rules, which if I quote stops me from seeing what I am typing[quote]

Google one less two fewer

The point I was making was that even grammatically-correct people break the rule when it is just one fewer and write one less because it sounds better. Fewer with something singular sounds wrong, I guess.

[Bubbly4Me]

The word fewer has now lost all meaning to me lol.

I will try to use less fewer times though.

[Wimb]

I seem to remember we were 2-0 up at Peterborough and then lost