1. 用作名詞 (n.)可以作賓語、主語、表語等：

孩子學習？對于所有的家長來，最關心就是孩子的學習，對吧？如何幫孩子提升學習成績呢？影響孩子學習成績的因素有哪些？左養右學教育賴頌強團隊13年的家庭教育服務經驗總結，影響孩子學習的主要因素有22條之多，家長你了解幾條呢？

There is less to do in this job than the last.

這份工作沒有上份工作量大。

It seems less of a threat than I’d expected.

威脅性似乎比我預料的要小。

2. adj.

較小的;較少的（little的比較級）;較次的，較劣的;較不重要的

注意，作為little的比較級時常常修飾不可數名詞，但是，也有罕見的修飾可數名詞的情況：

He was advised to smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less beer.

有人勸他少抽煙、少喝啤酒。

less butter/time/importance

較少的黃油 / 時間；次要

Less oil was produced this year than last.

今年的石油產量比去年的少。

I received less money than the others did.

我比別人收到的錢要少。

The couple seem to spend less and less time together

兩口子在一起的時間似乎越來越少。

注意：

I did expect more food and less people.（罕見）

我的確期望食物更多而人更少。

There were less cars on the road then.那時馬路上小汽車很少。（罕見）

3. adv.

較少；較小；更少；更小；沒那么多；少

可修飾形容詞或副詞表示程度；修飾動詞表示次數、程度或數量等：

People should eat less fat to reduce the risk of heart disease.

人們應該減少脂肪攝入，以降低患心臟病的危險。

I often think about those less fortunate than me

我經常想到那些沒我這么幸運的人。

We are eating more and exercising less

我們吃得多了，鍛煉卻少了。

She sounded less and less eager to return to Ireland

聽她話音，她回愛爾蘭的熱情似乎日漸消退。

They seem less tense, more even-tempered.

他們看起來不那么緊張，更加平和了。

Which book is less difficult ?

那一本比較不難一點啊？

Would you mind speaking less quickly?

你可否別將得那么快？

It rains less in London than in Manchester.倫敦的降雨量比曼徹斯特少。

4.如果遇到了：even less ,much less, far less, a little less, a bit less, a lot less, still less, 可以大膽理解為less的加強版本就可以了。

They are also spending much less on extras like meals in restaurants.

他們花在下館子等額外消費上的錢也少多了。

I use watercolours much less than I do oils or acrylics.

我用水彩比用油畫顏料或丙烯酸顏料要少得多。

He thought he knew better than I did, though he was much less experienced

雖然他經驗遠沒有我豐富，但他認為他比我懂行。

Rugs in the bedrooms got much less wear.

臥室里的小毯子用得少多了。

People should, ideally, eat much less fat.

理想情況下，人們應食用比現在少得多的脂肪。

Diplomats now expect the mission to be much less ambitious.

這一來外交官們估計這次任務會輕松很多。

He was much less flashy than his brother.

他遠沒有他的兄弟那么招搖。

In Western countries girls are far less likely to offend than boys.

在西方國家，女孩的犯罪傾向遠低于男孩。

Women who eat plenty of fresh vegetables are far less likely to sufferanxiety or depression .

吃新鮮蔬菜多的女性患焦慮癥或抑郁癥的幾率要小很多。

The job prospects for those graduating in engineering are far less rosy now than they used to be .

現在那些工科畢業生的工作前景大不如從前。

Blue asbestos is far less common in buildings, which is just as well because it’s more dangerous than white asbestos .

藍石棉在建筑中很不常見，這倒是一件幸事，因為它比白石棉危險得多。

A lot less time is now spent entering the data.

現在輸入數據花費的時間少多了。

I think the relationship between patients and doctors has got a lotless personal

我認為醫患關系變得越來越缺乏人情味。

If I went out and accepted a job at a lot less money, I’d jeopardize a good career.

我要是出去接下一份報酬低很多的工作，這將危及我的大好前程。

As we get older the temperature-regulating mechanisms in the body tend to become a little less efficient.

隨著年齡的增長，人體體溫調節機制的功能往往會有所弱化。

注意：

一有時是習語用法，表示“更不用說，更何況”等，如:

The boy didn’t have a girlfriend, much less a wife.

這小伙子連女朋友都沒有，更不用提老婆了。

I never talked about it, still less about her

我從來沒說起過這事，更沒有提起過她。

You shouldn’t fight, still less use weapons.

不要打架，更不能動家伙。

二、這些詞接動詞或名詞等時，要特別注意和前面的動詞或名詞等的形式要相同或對等：

The boy didn’t have a girlfriend, much less a wife.

這小伙子連女朋友都沒有，更不用提老婆了。

The baby can’t even walk, much less run.這個嬰兒連走路都不會，更不用說跑了。

I didn’t like to put on airs, and even less to have too many peoplecatering to me.

我不喜歡擺架子，更不愿讓人家興師動眾來照顧我。

They are always short of water to drink, much less to bathe in

他們的飲用水一直短缺，更別提洗澡水了。

三、若是用來引導一個句子，其后通常用倒裝語序：

I’m not interested in her, much less am I in love with her.

我對她不感興趣，更不用說愛上她了。

5.less……than……，與其說…倒不如說；不是…而是；要比…為少

Trades union leadership in those days was less a career than avocation.

那時候的工會領導與其說是一份職業，倒不如說是一種使命。

At first sight it looked less like a capital city than a mining camp

乍看上去，它不像是首府，更像是礦工村。

I see less of any of my friends than I used to.

我見所有朋友都比以前少了。

I feel more compassion and less anger than I used to.

我覺得自己比過去多了些同情，少了些怒氣。

He spends less time at work than at play.

他花在工作上的時間比玩耍的時間少。

I have spent less time on shore than most men

我在岸上生活的時間比大多數人都要少。

It rains less in London than in Manchester.倫敦的降雨量比曼徹斯特少。

6.not less than與no less than接數量詞時，含義不同，前者表示：不下于，至少（強調多于或等于這個數）；后者表示：……之多，多達……（強調數量之多）

not less than 不比……差,至少=at least

She has not less than 10 boyfriends.她至少有10個男朋友。

She has no less than 10 boyfriends.她有多達10個男朋友。

Briefly, no less than nine of our agents have passed information tous.

總而言之，至少有9名特工向我們傳遞了情報。

He is lined up for no less than four US television interviews.

多達4家美國電視媒體排期邀請他上節目接受采訪。

7.no less……than:與……一樣；不比……差；（強調兩者具有同等性）

He is no less wise than you.他跟你一樣聰明。

8. no less than用法：

一、接數量詞，表示多達、有……之多；

He is lined up for no less than four US television interviews.

多達4家美國電視媒體排期邀請他上節目接受采訪。

二、接名詞類詞語，表示簡直就是，與……沒有差別；不亞于……

It’s no less than a scandal.這簡直就是一樁丑聞。

It’s no less than robbery to ask for so much.要求這么多，簡直跟搶劫沒兩樣。

Fresh air, no less than pure water and clean food, is essential to one’s health.

新鮮空氣不亞于純凈的水和干凈的食物，對人們的健康是必不可少的。

三、中間放形容詞和副詞的原級，表示“與……一樣”，如：

This singer sings no less beautifully than that one.

這位歌手和那個歌手唱得一樣好聽。

He is no less quick at figures than I.

他對數字的反應與我一樣快。

四、原來就是，正是……（表示驚訝驚奇出乎意料等）

He was no less than the new president.他原來就是新上任的總統。

五、請對比以下幾個正誤句子：

1. 她花在讀課文上的時間比我少。

誤 She spent fewer time reading the text than I did.

正 She spent less time reading the text than I did.

析 fewer和less都表示“更少”的意思,但fewer只可以修飾可數名詞,如修飾不可數名詞則要用less。

2. 他不到30歲,但已斷送了自己。

誤 He was less than thirty, but he was ruined.

正 He was under thirty, but he was ruined.

析 表示“不到多少歲”,英語習慣用under,而不用less than。

3. 在這兩件衣服中,我拿了更便宜的那一件。

誤 Of the two suits,I took the least expensive one.

正 Of the two suits,I took the less expensive one.

析 在兩個人或事物之間只能使用比較級,而不能使用最高級。

4. 今天比昨天冷。

誤 It is less colder than it was yesterday.

正 It is less cold than it was yesterday.

析 less不可用在形容詞的比較級前。