Choose the most appropriate word to fill in the blank.
There are __________ rooms in the new guest house than in the older one.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → fewer
Complete sentence: There are fewer rooms in the new guest house than in the older one. "Rooms" can be counted, and "than" calls for a comparative, so "fewer rooms" is correct.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) less | Less (the comparative of little) is used with uncountable nouns: less water, less time. Less goes with uncountable nouns. "Rooms" is a countable plural. | Please add less sugar to my tea. |
| (2) lesser | Lesser means smaller in importance or degree and comes before a noun. It is not used with "than" for number. | He chose the lesser of the two evils. |
| (3) few | Few is the positive form. It cannot be followed by "than". | – |
| (4) fewer (answer) | Fewer (the comparative of few) is used with countable plural nouns: fewer rooms, fewer books. Two-step check: 1. countable or not: "rooms" is countable, so few/fewer. 2. degree: "than" needs the comparative, so "fewer". | This year fewer students joined the drama club. |