Less drawings

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Less drawings" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used when referring to a reduced quantity of drawings, but the correct form should be "fewer drawings" since "drawings" is a countable noun. Example: "We need fewer drawings to complete the project on time."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Over the course of production, you have less and less drawings, and more and more actual animation.

Vice

No significant effect was found for pause type (p = 0.52), but the subjects finished less drawings in the last 5 compared with the first 5 min of computer work (p < 0.01).

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Similarly, diamond quilted stitched shows a very less drawing-in values both in warp and weft directions.

Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing

"SORRY I PAINTED THE WORD TWAT ON YOUR GARAGE DOOR" is the entire text of one of his image-less drawings (or whatever you want to call them); "PLEASE EXCUSE THE TERRIBLE INJUSTICE" (and in much smaller capitals, below: "THANK-YOU") is that of another.

The Guardian - Arts

Also included are a brushy, four-square abstraction by Grace Knowlton; loopy, linear prints by Dorothea Rockburne; Seurat-style charcoal landscapes by Susan Crowder; more or less abstract drawings by Deborah Hede and Sarah Plimpton; and a pale, multiframed narrative by Emily Brown Johnsonn).

The New York Times - Arts

Also included are a brushy, four-square abstraction by Grace Knowlton; loopy, linear prints by Dorothea Rockburne; Seurat-like charcoal landscapes by Susan Crowder; more or less abstract drawings by Deborah Hede and Sarah Plimpton; and a pale, multi-framed narrative by Emily Brown Johnsonn).

The New York Times - Arts

Also included are a brushy, four-square abstraction by Grace Knowlton; loopy, linear prints by Dorothea Rockburne; Seurat-like charcoal landscapes by Susan Crowder; more or less abstract drawings by Deborah Hede and Sarah Plimpton; and a pale, multiframed narrative by Emily Brown Johnsonn).

The New York Times - Arts

When Mr. Ivie parses his art into little bronze sculptures of his male protagonists, less focused drawings or paintings of nearly life-size birds on uniformly built-up abstract surfaces, the spell is broken.

The New York Times - Arts

But no one had taken photographs of Egypt, photography being just a decade old, and in Du Camp you can see a new medium used to capture sights afresh -- an opportunity seized to show everybody back home what they knew only from artists' and archaeologists' more or less fanciful drawings, paintings and prints.

The New York Times - Arts

A facilitator for the Unitarian Church's sex-ed curriculum, which is considered the gold standard of comprehensive sex education, told me that photographs of couples engaged in sexual activity that had been used in the seventh-grade and eighth-grade classes in the 1970s and '80s had been replaced with less-controversial drawings.

The New York Times

Although less-skilled drawings for very preterm children at early school age are related to lower cognitive and motor development, the DAP test is only partly (11%) explained by the cognitive and motor developmental level of very preterm children.

European Journal of Pediatrics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to countable nouns like "drawings", use "fewer" instead of "less" to ensure grammatical correctness. For instance, use "fewer drawings" to indicate a smaller number of drawings.

Common error

Avoid using "less" before countable nouns such as "drawings". "Less" is appropriate for uncountable nouns (e.g., "less water"). Always use "fewer" for countable items.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less drawings" functions as a quantifier attempting to specify a reduced amount of drawings. However, it is grammatically flawed. As Ludwig AI confirms, the word 'less' should not be used with countable nouns.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "less drawings" appears in various sources, it's grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, "less" is for uncountable nouns; "fewer" is needed for countable nouns like "drawings". Alternatives like "fewer drawings" or "a reduced number of drawings" are recommended for accurate and formal communication. Although the phrase is used across different contexts, its limited frequency and grammatical incorrectness makes it a poor choice for precise writing. Always remember to use "fewer" when referring to countable items.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Fewer drawings

Replaces "less" with "fewer" to correct the grammatical error when referring to countable nouns.

A reduced number of drawings

Substitutes "less" with a more formal and grammatically correct expression.

A smaller quantity of drawings

Emphasizes the reduced amount using a slightly different wording.

A decrease in drawings

Focuses on the reduction itself rather than the quantity.

Drawings are diminished

Uses a passive voice to highlight the act of reduction affecting the drawings.

A scarcity of drawings

Highlights the limited availability of drawings.

Drawings are lessened

Employs the verb "lessened" to describe the reduction.

Limited drawings

Uses an adjective to describe the drawings in terms of its quantity.

Reduced illustrations

Offers a different term for the drawings.

Diminished artwork

Replaces drawings with artwork, highlighting the visual product and reduction.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "less drawings"?

No, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is "fewer drawings" because "drawings" is a countable noun. Use "less" with uncountable nouns, like "less water".

What's the difference between "less drawings" and "fewer drawings"?

"Less drawings" is grammatically incorrect. "Less" should be used with uncountable nouns. "Fewer drawings" is the correct phrase when referring to a reduced quantity of drawings, as "drawings" is a countable noun.

Which alternative can I use instead of "less drawings"?

You can use phrases like "fewer drawings", "a reduced number of drawings", or "a smaller quantity of drawings" to convey the same meaning in a grammatically correct way.

How to use "fewer drawings" in a sentence?

You can use "fewer drawings" in a sentence like this: "We need "fewer drawings" to illustrate the concept clearly" or "The artist decided to create "fewer drawings" for the final exhibition".