This structure is used when you want to compare quantities between two or more groups. “More” is used to indicate a higher quantity, while “few” or “less” refers to a smaller quantity.
Form:
More/few/less + noun + than
Examples:
- More students preferred studying online than attending in-person classes.
In this sentence, “more students” compares the number of students who preferred online classes versus in-person classes, with the implication that online learning was more popular.
- Fewer people traveled abroad in 2021 than in 2019.
Here, “fewer people” indicates that the number of international travelers was lower in 2021 compared to 2019.
- Less water was consumed during winter than in summer.
In this case, “less water” compares the amount of water consumed in two different seasons, indicating that water consumption was lower in winter.
- More women than men completed higher education in 2020.
This compares the number of women and men who achieved higher education, with the focus on the fact that women were in the majority.