less and least, fewer and fewest

 Here is a chart explaining the differences between 'less,' 'least,' 'fewer,' and 'fewest':

Term	Usage	Comparison	Example
less	Used with uncountable nouns	Comparative form	She has less sugar than I do.
least	Used with uncountable nouns	Superlative form	Of all the participants, she has the least experience.
fewer	Used with countable nouns	Comparative form	He has fewer books than his sister.
fewest	Used with countable nouns	Superlative form	Among the students, she completed the fewest assignments.

Examples:

1. Less:

   • I need to spend less time on social media.
   • There is less water in the lake this year.

2. Least:

   • He is the least concerned about the outcome.
   • The least expensive option is to buy the ingredients and cook at home.

3. Fewer:

   • There are fewer apples in the basket today.
   • She has fewer responsibilities at her new job.

4. Fewest:

   • The team with the fewest points will be eliminated.
   • Of all the cities we visited, this one had the fewest attractions.

Remember, 'less' and 'least' are used with uncountable nouns (like sugar, water, concern), while 'fewer' and 'fewest' are used with countable nouns (like apples, responsibilities, points).

Here are some exercises with blanks for you to fill in with 'less,' 'least,' 'fewer,' 'the least,' or 'the fewest':

1. She needs to consume _____ calories to lose weight.
2. He has _____ experience than his coworkers.
3. Of all the candidates, she received _____ votes.
4. The store with _____ customers has the lowest revenue.
5. This city has _____ pollution compared to the other cities in the region.
6. To save money, they decided to buy the product with _____ packaging.
7. They want to reduce waste by using _____ disposable items.
8. The teacher with _____ students can give more individual attention.
9. _____ coffee I drink, the better I sleep.
10. Of all the possible routes, we should take the one with _____ traffic.

Here are the answers:

1. fewer
2. less
3. the fewest
4. the fewest
5. less
6. the least
7. fewer
8. the fewest
9. The less
10. the least

Feel free to practice these exercises, and remember the differences between 'less,' 'least,' 'fewer,' 'the least,' and 'the fewest' in terms of countable and uncountable nouns, as well as comparative and superlative forms.