less proportions

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less proportions" is not correct in standard written English.
It is likely intended to convey a comparison of quantities or sizes, but the correct expression would typically involve "fewer" instead of "less" when referring to countable items like proportions. Example: "The recipe calls for fewer proportions of sugar to balance the flavors."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

With the height of the low index gaps increasing in the dropping area of the curves, the confinement becomes weaker and less proportions of mode are confined in the low index gaps, resulting in an increased loss.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Jews express belief in God in significantly less proportions than other religious groups.

Huffington Post

Even it is not possible to directly compare chemotherapy alone with its combination with radiation, docetaxel plus oxaliplatin reported less toxicities and less proportions of deaths due to adverse events than its triple combination with capacitabine in a recent randomized phase II trial [ 18].

BMC Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Do the mulattoes seek public charity in greater or less proportion than whites?

The New York Times

Here, softer UFM regions (some marked with arrows in Fig. 7a, b) appear in less proportion than in the cases of TiN coatings produced with less sputtering power.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Thane city is within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) where public transport is heavily used, thus has relatively less proportion of two-wheelers compared to other three intersections.

Journal of Modern Transportation

However, the research has seldom focused on the Prairie Provinces in Canada, especially for the city with less proportion of population.

Environmental Systems Research

Nevertheless, in this case, regions with darker contrast in the UFM image (attributed to the presence of those softer substoichiometric impurities) appear in less proportion than in the coatings generated withW S = 100 W (Fig. 4b).

Nanoscale Research Letters

Similarly, Suárez Alonso et al. (2010) found that in late summers, with high temperatures and less proportion of gonads occupied by gametes, a rise in atresic oocytes in mussels was produced, indicating the end of the gametogenic cycle.

International Aquatic Research

Although permeate flux of ultrafiltration membrane was larger at the optimal-doing than that of under-dosing, the less proportion of irreversible fouling and large proportion of reversible fouling were proved that under-dosing strategy has more meaningful engineering application value for deep investigation.

Journal of Membrane Science

With regard to control variables, similar to prior evidence, firms with higher leverage show less proportion of short-term debt (at the 1% level), whereas those firms that generate more cash flows show a higher proportion of short-term debt (at the 5% level).

SERIEs

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing parts of a whole, use "fewer" with countable items and "less" with uncountable ones. For proportions, consider "smaller proportions" or "lower percentages" for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "less" when referring to countable proportions. "Fewer proportions" or "smaller proportions" is generally more appropriate, especially in formal writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less proportions" primarily functions as a comparative quantifier, attempting to express a smaller amount relative to something else. Ludwig indicates the expression may not be correct in standard English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

67%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "less proportions" aims to convey a reduction in quantity or amount, but it is considered grammatically questionable. Ludwig AI highlights this potential incorrectness, suggesting that "fewer proportions" or "smaller proportions" are more appropriate alternatives. Analysis of usage contexts reveals that "less proportions" appears in both scientific and news-related articles, but given its grammatical ambiguity, it should be used with caution, especially in formal writing. To improve clarity and grammatical correctness, consider using alternatives such as "smaller amounts", "reduced quantities", or "lower percentages", depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

smaller amounts

Replaces "proportions" with "amounts" to focus on quantity, and "less" with "smaller" for directness.

reduced quantities

Employs "reduced" instead of "less" and "quantities" for a more formal tone.

lower percentages

Substitutes "proportions" with "percentages" when referring to parts of a whole.

decreased ratios

Utilizes "decreased" instead of "less" and "ratios" for a mathematical context.

fewer fractions

Replaces "proportions" with "fractions" when referring to parts of a whole.

diminished shares

Uses "diminished" to convey reduction and "shares" for proportional allocation.

slighter cuts

Employs "slighter" to indicate a minor reduction and "cuts" in proportions.

minimal segments

Replaces "proportions" with "segments" for a more discrete description.

limited extents

Employs "limited" for restriction and "extents" for scope.

scarcer divisions

Uses "scarcer" to imply rarity and "divisions" for portions.

FAQs

Is "less proportions" grammatically correct?

No, "less proportions" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. It's better to use "fewer proportions" or "smaller proportions". Ludwig AI identifies this as a potentially incorrect phrase.

What's a better alternative to "less proportions"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "smaller amounts", "reduced quantities", or "lower percentages".

When should I use "fewer" instead of "less"?

"Fewer" should be used for countable nouns (e.g., fewer proportions, fewer items), while "less" is used for uncountable nouns (e.g., less water, less effort).

How can I use "smaller proportions" in a sentence?

You might say, "The recipe calls for "smaller proportions" of sugar to balance the flavors".