less用法分析

1. 用作名词 (n.)可以作宾语、主语、表语等：

There is less to do in this job than the last.

这份工作没有上份工作量大。

It seems less of a threat than I'd expected.

威胁性似乎比我预料的要小。

2. adj.

较小的;较少的（little的比较级）;较次的，较劣的;较不重要的

注意，作为little的比较级时常常修饰不可数名词，但是，也有罕见的修饰可数名词的情况：

He was advised to smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less beer.

有人劝他少抽烟、少喝啤酒。

less butter/time/importance

较少的黄油 / 时间；次要

Less oil was produced this year than last.

今年的石油产量比去年的少。

I received less money than the others did.

我比别人收到的钱要少。

The couple seem to spend less and less time together

两口子在一起的时间似乎越来越少。

注意：

I did expect more food and less people.（罕见）

我的确期望食物更多而人更少。

There were less cars on the road then.那时马路上小汽车很少。（罕见）

3. adv.

较少；较小；更少；更小；没那么多；少

可修饰形容词或副词表示程度；修饰动词表示次数、程度或数量等：

People should eat less fat to reduce the risk of heart disease.

人们应该减少脂肪摄入，以降低患心脏病的危险。

I often think about those less fortunate than me

我经常想到那些没我这么幸运的人。

We are eating more and exercising less

我们吃得多了，锻炼却少了。

She sounded less and less eager to return to Ireland

听她话音，她回爱尔兰的热情似乎日渐消退。

They seem less tense, more even-tempered.

他们看起来不那么紧张，更加平和了。

Which book is less difficult ?

那一本比较不难一点啊？

Would you mind speaking less quickly?

你可否别将得那么快？

It rains less in London than in Manchester.伦敦的降雨量比曼彻斯特少。

4.如果遇到了：even less ,much less, far less, a little less, a bit less, a lot less, still less, 可以大胆理解为less的加强版本就可以了。

They are also spending much less on extras like meals in restaurants.

他们花在下馆子等额外消费上的钱也少多了。

I use watercolours much less than I do oils or acrylics.

我用水彩比用油画颜料或丙烯酸颜料要少得多。

He thought he knew better than I did, though he was much less experienced

虽然他经验远没有我丰富，但他认为他比我懂行。

Rugs in the bedrooms got much less wear.

卧室里的小毯子用得少多了。

People should, ideally, eat much less fat.

理想情况下，人们应食用比现在少得多的脂肪。

Diplomats now expect the mission to be much less ambitious.

这一来外交官们估计这次任务会轻松很多。

He was much less flashy than his brother.

他远没有他的兄弟那么招摇。

In Western countries girls are far less likely to offend than boys.

在西方国家，女孩的犯罪倾向远低于男孩。

Women who eat plenty of fresh vegetables are far less likely to sufferanxiety or depression .

吃新鲜蔬菜多的女性患焦虑症或抑郁症的几率要小很多。

The job prospects for those graduating in engineering are far less rosy now than they used to be .

现在那些工科毕业生的工作前景大不如从前。

Blue asbestos is far less common in buildings, which is just as well because it's more dangerous than white asbestos .

蓝石棉在建筑中很不常见，这倒是一件幸事，因为它比白石棉危险得多。

A lot less time is now spent entering the data.

现在输入数据花费的时间少多了。

I think the relationship between patients and doctors has got a lotless personal

我认为医患关系变得越来越缺乏人情味。

If I went out and accepted a job at a lot less money, I'd jeopardize a good career.

我要是出去接下一份报酬低很多的工作，这将危及我的大好前程。

As we get older the temperature-regulating mechanisms in the body tend to become a little less efficient.

随着年龄的增长，人体体温调节机制的功能往往会有所弱化。

注意：

一有时是习语用法，表示“更不用说，更何况”等，如:

The boy didn't have a girlfriend, much less a wife.

这小伙子连女朋友都没有，更不用提老婆了。

I never talked about it, still less about her

我从来没说起过这事，更没有提起过她。

You shouldn't fight, still less use weapons.

不要打架，更不能动家伙。

二、这些词接动词或名词等时，要特别注意和前面的动词或名词等的形式要相同或对等：

The boy didn't have a girlfriend, much less a wife.

这小伙子连女朋友都没有，更不用提老婆了。

The baby can’t even walk, much less run.这个婴儿连走路都不会，更不用说跑了。

I didn't like to put on airs, and even less to have too many peoplecatering to me.

我不喜欢摆架子，更不愿让人家兴师动众来照顾我。

They are always short of water to drink, much less to bathe in

他们的饮用水一直短缺，更别提洗澡水了。

三、若是用来引导一个句子，其后通常用倒装语序：

I’m not interested in her, much less am I in love with her.

我对她不感兴趣，更不用说爱上她了。

5.less……than……，与其说...倒不如说；不是...而是；要比...为少

Trades union leadership in those days was less a career than avocation.

那时候的工会领导与其说是一份职业，倒不如说是一种使命。

At first sight it looked less like a capital city than a mining camp

乍看上去，它不像是首府，更像是矿工村。

I see less of any of my friends than I used to.

我见所有朋友都比以前少了。

I feel more compassion and less anger than I used to.

我觉得自己比过去多了些同情，少了些怒气。

He spends less time at work than at play.

他花在工作上的时间比玩耍的时间少。

I have spent less time on shore than most men

我在岸上生活的时间比大多数人都要少。

It rains less in London than in Manchester.伦敦的降雨量比曼彻斯特少。

6.not less than与no less than接数量词时，含义不同，前者表示：不下于，至少（强调多于或等于这个数）；后者表示：……之多，多达……（强调数量之多）

not less than 不比……差,至少 = at least

She has not less than 10 boyfriends.她至少有10个男朋友。

She has no less than 10 boyfriends.她有多达10个男朋友。

Briefly, no less than nine of our agents have passed information tous.

总而言之，至少有9名特工向我们传递了情报。

He is lined up for no less than four US television interviews.

多达4家美国电视媒体排期邀请他上节目接受采访。

7.no less……than:与……一样；不比……差；（强调两者具有同等性）

He is no less wise than you.他跟你一样聪明。

8. no less than用法：

一、接数量词，表示多达、有……之多；

He is lined up for no less than four US television interviews.

多达4家美国电视媒体排期邀请他上节目接受采访。

二、接名词类词语，表示简直就是，与……没有差别；不亚于……

It’s no less than a scandal.这简直就是一桩丑闻。

It’s no less than robbery to ask for so much.要求这么多，简直跟抢劫没两样。

Fresh air, no less than pure water and clean food, is essential to one's health.

新鲜空气不亚于纯净的水和干净的食物，对人们的健康是必不可少的。

三、中间放形容词和副词的原级，表示“与……一样”，如：

This singer sings no less beautifully than that one.

这位歌手和那个歌手唱得一样好听。

He is no less quick at figures than I.

他对数字的反应与我一样快。

四、原来就是，正是……（表示惊讶惊奇出乎意料等）

He was no less than the new president.他原来就是新上任的总统。

五、请对比以下几个正误句子：

1. 她花在读课文上的时间比我少。

误 She spent fewer time reading the text than I did.

正 She spent less time reading the text than I did.

析 fewer和less都表示“更少”的意思,但fewer只可以修饰可数名词,如修饰不可数名词则要用less。

2. 他不到30岁,但已断送了自己。

误 He was less than thirty, but he was ruined.

正 He was under thirty, but he was ruined.

析 表示“不到多少岁”,英语习惯用under,而不用less than。

3. 在这两件衣服中,我拿了更便宜的那一件。

误 Of the two suits,I took the least expensive one.

正 Of the two suits,I took the less expensive one.

析 在两个人或事物之间只能使用比较级,而不能使用最高级。

4. 今天比昨天冷。

误 It is less colder than it was yesterday.

正 It is less cold than it was yesterday.

析 less不可用在形容词的比较级前。