Senora, hat, Mrs Badger and other grammarians- remind me about less than/fewer

[ScummyMummy2Lenin]

It is "less than 2% of the sample", isn't it?

hi
the rule is:
"less than an amount, fewer than a number"
eg fewer than 50 people voted.. but use less sugar in your cakes
so less is correct in this case
hope this is useful

hi
the rule is:
"less than an amount, fewer than a number"
eg fewer than 50 people voted.. but use less sugar in your cakes
so less is correct in this case
hope this is useful

sorry to post twice.. been up since 5am with dds.aaaaaagggggggggggggghhhhhhhh

thanks yummummy.

Scummymummy- god just read this again and in my bleary eyed state think I may have made a mistake- if the sample is PEOPLE, ie a number, then perhaps it should be fewer than 2%- - god it's too early, shouldn't have posted in half awake state- get someone else to double check this, sorry to be so useless if it's important
ANYONE more helpful???

fewer for a number, less for a quantity.

so if the sample is of people it would be 'fewer than 2% of the sample', but if it's sugar it's 'less that 2% of the sample'.

than, not that!

The sample is of people- this is source of my confusion! So it should be fewer?

I'd agree with "fewer than 2% of the sample", if it relates to people. But I don't think it would be horribly wrong to say "less than" either, as you could be referring to the percentage equally.

Can't you put "only 1.whatever% of the sample"?

Very pleased to see work continuing on this written project!!!

it depends on the context - as to whether you are referring directly to people or a singular item.

e.g. "less than 2% of the customer base agreed that..."

but "of the total respondents, fewer than 2% agreed that...".

ooo thanks for officially recognising me as a grammarian, I'm no big expert on less/fewer but I would hazard a guess that in this case it should be less. I personally think a percentage is an amount - especially as it's a percentage of a sample

Out of the 200 people asked fewer than 50 said yes.

But

Less than 25 per cent of the sample replied yes.

I can't really back this up, but it seems logical to me. I also think it sounds better. I also agree that no-one (well, not many people) would notice

I think what I just put is on the same lines as tutter

late again for a grammar question.

just in case it still helps: yes, less than 2% of the sample, because "the sample" is not countable (but, as Tutter says, fewer than 2% of respondents)

Agree with WWTSWAH. (and Tutter)

Phew, glad I wasn't being too dense early this morning and that this is a source of debate for many-agree that really noone will notice, however it all depends as the others have said on whether you take the people, ie a number or the percentage which is an amount as the subject-and here I think you "pays your money and takes your choice"...

Thank you very much, everyone.
Early morning working atm, jan and progress is mighty slow but at least it is sort of progressing. Ish.
Good get-out clause, tinker!