http://ask.yygrammar.com/q-977.html 的回答里有这样一句话,
在“基数词+表示时间、距离、金额的计量名词(如hour,mile, dollar等)”前面要用less than,不能用fewer than
然而,fewer than加时间的例句不少。
还有一个答案可做对比,是关于as many as和as much as的,
http://ask.yygrammar.com/q-39180.html
as many as 20 days正确。as many as和as much as都可以修饰可数名词,但要注意以下区别:
1. as many as+数词+“个体”复数名词。例如:
The great fire burned down as many as 20 buildings. 那场大火烧毁的建筑物达20栋之多。
As many as 15 people were killed in the school shooting. 在这次校园枪击案中的死亡人数多达15人。
2. as much as +数词+“单位”复数名词。例如:
The huge stone weighs as much as 15 tons. 这块巨石重达15吨。
He was paid as much as 100 pounds for a single appearance. 他一次出场就被付给一百英镑之多。
此回答一定正确,我在词典中找到了类似的用法。
有趣的是,fewer than 不加时间单位,而as many as 却可以。
所以我觉得fewer than可以加“单位名词”
类似的词组,有as many/much as;as few/little as;fewer/less than
我个人想总结一下,不知正误。
1.修饰可数名词的many、few,加“个体”复数名词
但这不意味着它们不能修饰“单位”名词,只是(much,little)更常用。
(有个有意思的点,是时间,我就在陆谷孙查到了 as many as twenty-eight years)
2.修饰不可数名词的much、little,加“单位”复数名词
但这不意为这它们不能修饰“个体”复数名词,比如less加可数名词复数,非正式语体中仍可见(虽然有人觉得不对)
至于as much/little as 可不可加“个体”名词的复数,有待考证,估计不行。
请问专家,是否可如此理解?