there will be less

USAGE SUMMARY

"there will be less" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express that something will decrease in amount or size. Example: "With the new budget cuts, there will be less money available for school supplies."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Partly, this is because it thinks there will be less competition.

The Economist

People there will be less able to insulate themselves from these types of impacts.

Johns Hopkins University

"There will be less of that now.

The New York Times

Instead there will be less formal "discussions".

The Economist

There will be less cause for disagreement.

The New York Times

There will be less coursework.

The Guardian

There will be less competition".

The New York Times

There will be less capacity.

The New York Times

So there will be less debt paydown".

The New York Times

There will be less penis measuring.

The Guardian

There will be less UK news.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "there will be less" when referring to uncountable nouns (e.g., "There will be less water available this summer"). For countable nouns, use "there will be fewer" (e.g., "There will be fewer opportunities").

Common error

Avoid using "less" with countable nouns. The common mistake is to say "there will be less cars" when the correct form is "there will be fewer cars".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "there will be less" functions as a declarative statement expressing a future decrease in quantity, amount, or degree. This is supported by Ludwig, which confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "there will be less" is a common and grammatically sound way to express a future reduction or decrease, as validated by Ludwig. Predominantly found in news and academic contexts, it serves to forecast scarcity or diminished quantities. It's crucial to use "less" correctly with uncountable nouns, avoiding the common error of substituting it for "fewer" when referring to countable items. While generally neutral, more formal alternatives exist for specific writing needs.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

there will be fewer

Uses "fewer" instead of "less", which is more appropriate when referring to countable nouns.

there will be a reduction in

Replaces "less" with "a reduction in", creating a more formal tone.

there will be a decrease in

Substitutes "less" with "a decrease in", providing a slightly more technical feel.

a smaller amount will be

Focuses on the "smaller amount" aspect of the original phrase.

expect a decline in

Uses "expect a decline in" to indicate an anticipated reduction.

we anticipate a drop in

Employs "anticipate a drop in" to suggest a forthcoming decrease.

less will be

Inverts the structure for emphasis or variation.

the quantity will diminish

Replaces the original phrase with a more formal and descriptive alternative.

the availability will shrink

Emphasizes the shrinking availability, implying "there will be less".

expect a downturn

Indicates a negative trend, suggesting that "there will be less" of something.

FAQs

When should I use "there will be less" versus "there will be fewer"?

"There will be less" is used for uncountable nouns (e.g., water, money, time), while "there will be fewer" is used for countable nouns (e.g., cars, people, opportunities). Using the incorrect form is a common grammatical error.

What are some alternatives to saying "there will be less"?

You can use phrases like "there will be a reduction in", "there will be a decrease in", or "a smaller amount will be" depending on the context.

Is "there will be less" formal or informal?

The phrase "there will be less" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, for more formal writing, you might consider alternatives like "there will be a reduction in".

Is it ever correct to say "there will be lesser" instead of "there will be less"?

While "lesser" exists as a word, it's rarely used in this construction. "There will be less" is the standard and more common way to express a reduction in quantity or amount. Using "lesser" in this way would sound unusual.