GED Reasoning Through Language ArtsExtended Response (Essay)Hard
A student is reviewing their argumentative essay for errors in standard English conventions. They encounter the sentence: 'The data indicates that less students participated in the optional survey this year.' Which of the following corrections addresses a common error in conventions?
- AAdd a comma after 'data' for clarity.
- BChange 'less' to 'fewer' to correctly modify a countable noun.
- CChange 'indicates' to 'indicate' to agree with 'data.'
- DChange 'participated' to 'participate' to reflect present tense.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Change 'less' to 'fewer' to correctly modify a countable noun.
The word 'less' is used for uncountable nouns (e.g., less water), while 'fewer' is used for countable nouns (e.g., fewer students). Since 'students' are countable, 'fewer' is the correct choice, addressing a common grammatical error.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. A comma after 'data' is not grammatically necessary in this sentence structure.
- C. While 'data' can be singular or plural, 'data indicates' is commonly accepted, and this is not the most significant error.
- D. The original sentence's tense ('participated' - past tense) is appropriate for an event that already occurred 'this year.'
Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns
A distinction in grammar where countable nouns refer to items that can be counted individually (e.g., students, apples), and uncountable nouns refer to things that cannot be counted individually (e.g., water, information).
- Use 'fewer' for countable nouns.
- Use 'less' for uncountable nouns.
- Affects quantifier choice (e.g., 'many' vs. 'much').
Memory trick: Conventions Confirm Correct Communication.