Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
There are ______ students in class today than yesterday.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → fewer
Fewer / less:
- Fewer is used with plural countable nouns (students, books, cars).
- Less is used with uncountable nouns (water, time, money).
- This sentence compares two numbers with "than", and "students" can be counted, so fewer is correct.
- Complete sentence: There are fewer students in class today than yesterday.
Example: There are fewer cars on the road on Sundays than on weekdays.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: less — Incorrect. Less is used with uncountable nouns, not with a countable plural such as "students".
Example: There is less water in the tank today.
Option 3: lesser — Incorrect. Lesser means smaller in importance or degree and comes before a noun, as in "the lesser evil"; it does not express a smaller number.
Example: He chose the lesser of the two evils.
Option 4: a few — Incorrect. A few means a small number, some; it is not a comparative, so it cannot be followed by "than yesterday".
Example: A few students stayed back after class.