Words Related to Numbers

To use some words correctly, you need to be aware of the numbers associated with them.

Among / Between
Amount / Number
Fewer / Less

Among and between are prepositions. Between is used when two items are in question; among is used when more than two things are involved.

Standard Sentences
A wide gulf stands between you and me.
Divide the prize money between the two winners.
Distribute the funds among all the professors at University of Northwestern.
The work should be shared among each of the seven members of the group.

Amount is used with non-count nouns; number is used with count nouns. Count nouns are those nouns that can be counted. For example, “gallon” is a count noun. You can count the number of gallons a given store sells in a day. Non-count nouns are those nouns to which a specific number cannot be fixed. “Milk” is a non-count noun. You cannot tally up the number of milk sold by the store. You can, however, find out the amount of milk the store sold.

Standard Sentences
We sold a large number of gallons of milk yesterday.
We sold a large amount of milk yesterday.
The doctor said to drink a larger number of glasses of water every day.
The doctor said to drink a larger amount of water every day.
There were a number of chairs in the entryway.
The amount of furniture she bought yesterday was excessive.
The soccer team scored a number of goals last season.
The soccer coach has a substantial amount of anger to lose.
I speak a considerable number of languages.
My class has given me a fair amount of Spanish I can use.
The number of days until the holidays allows me to do my shopping.
The amount of time until the holidays allows me to do my shopping.
You students increase the amount of intelligence in the world.

The end of every semester increases the number of intelligent graduates of University of Northwestern in the world.

I took a number of naps to increase the amount of sleep I was getting.

Fewer and less operate on the same principle. Fewer is used with count nouns.

Standard Sentences
I gave away ten rulers; I have fewer rulers today than I did yesterday.
I wish I had fewer papers to grade.
If I have fewer than ten items, I’ll be able to get in the express lane.

Less is used with non-count nouns.

Standard Sentences
The coach has less anger this year than last.
It’s too crowded in here: you need less furniture.
The solution is not always to drink less