Grammar Greater vs. More

Question

The number of fish is (greater/more) than 100.
There are (more/greater) than 100 fish.

Please advise. :-D

nevergiveup · Answer

The number of fish is greater than 100. 
There are more than 100 fish.

bmwhype2 · Answer

What are the rules/concepts behind both sentences?

nevergiveup · Answer

For numbers alone, always use greater than or less than.
For the second sentence, it uses more than because the number is following by a noun.

bmwhype2 · Answer

does it matter whether the noun is countable?

vshaunak@gmail.com · Answer

I am also confused with them.

Please somebody clarify.

bmwhype2 · Answer

I've compiled this list myself after LOTS of trial and error. I like to think of it from the fewer/less perspective than the greater/more perspective. two sides of the same coin. :lol:

Greater vs. More Fewer vs. Less Fewer refers to countable nouns. Less is used in groups/subsets, fractions, money, periods of time and distance, distance and numerical data. There are fewer pollutants and less of certain pollutants. Group Less than forty percent of Americans have a healthy muscle to fat ratio. Fraction Dallas is less than twenty miles away and less than five minutes away. Distance & time Dallas is less than six feet tall. Numerical data Danny always carries less than two dollars in his wallet. Money Brooklyn has a population of less than five million and fewer immigrants than ever before. Brooklyn has a population of fewer than five million and less immigrants than ever before.

bmwhype2 · Answer

Use fewer or “er” forms when referring to countable nouns. 

Greater/lesser/fewer

kwam · Answer

Wouldn't it be less for uncountable and fewer for countable?

For instance:
This queue is for custumers with fewer than 10 items.
"Please, put in my tea less sugar than you did in hers."

bmwhype2 · Answer

Her post was a bit vague and confusing for me.
This queue is for customers with  fewer  than 10  items .

r0m3416 · Answer

Greater vs More: 
 Use "Greater" STRICTLY when dealing with numbers only (e.g. greater than 100)

 Use "More" when dealing with group/subsets or making a comparison
 
Fewer vs Less: 

 Use "Fewer" with countable nouns

 Use "less" with non-countable nouns

Generally "-er" is followed by "than" while making comparison..


Greater/lesser/fewer - all are comparitives and are used to make comparisons between two objects

To compare more than 2 objects use superlatives..

r0m3416 · Answer

Countable / Non-Countable  
Many / Much
More (Number of Objects or When making comparisons) / Greater (used strictly with Numbers e.g. greater than one hundered)
Fewer (fewer than 100 students in the class) / Less (Less than 100 dollars)
Number, Majority, Minority, Plurality / Amount, Quantity

vay · Answer

I agree to this explaination.

excelgmat · Answer

Why not fewer than 100 dollars if fewer than 100 students is correct??????

bmwhype2 · Answer

that is just the way it is. "less" is one of those sexy words that applies to several instances.

less than one hundred dollars.

bmwhype2 · Answer

Why is  fewer  than 100 fish acceptable but not  greater  than 100 fish?

r0m3416 · Answer

It is what GMAT English says and I prefer to hard-code their preference in mind.

Use greater only while dealing with numbers or in other words when dealing with amount, quantity..

Use fewer with any coutables e.g. while dealing with Number of people or to make comparison betw 2 countable quantities

The gyrfalcon, an Arctic bird of prey, has survived a close brush with extinction; its numbers are now five times greater than when the use of DDT was sharply restricted in the early 1970's.

A) extinction; its numbers are now five times greater than

B) extinction; its numbers are now five times more than

C) extinction; their numbers are now fivefold what they were

D) extinction; now with fivefold the numbers they had

E) extinction; now with numbers five times greater than

bmwhype2 · Answer

because... that is the way it is.

purefocus428 · Answer

It has been a while since anyone has contributed to this thread, but after some searching, I found that the use of more has no bearing on whether it is countable or not.

e.g. 
There are more apples than oranges
There is more water than juice

Greater seems to refer to being "Larger in size or importance or degree."
Hence, we can say the following:

The number of apples is greater than the number of oranges
The amount of water is greater than the amount of juice
The clarity of water is greater than that of juice
The fraction of the population who smoke is greater than those who do not

In these examples, less could could be substituted as an adverb not as an adjective, which I think is what is creating the confusion.

Comments?

sjpre10 · Answer

thanks for tip but to be more clear...actual rules

The K800 lays down the law on the topic - it clearly states:

Use ‘greater than’ when describing numbers ALONE. Use ‘more than’ when describing number of objects or when making comparisons.

E.g. ‘Greater than one hundred’ OR ‘more than one dozen fishes’ OR ‘I love you more than I love anything else’

Grammar Greater vs. More

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