Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.
No ______ than fifty trees were uprooted in the storm.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1, i.e., fewer.
Filler Concept: Use of quantifiers with countable nouns
Grammatical Explanation:
"Trees" is a countable noun.
With countable plural nouns, we use "fewer" (not "less").
“No fewer than” is a fixed phrase used to emphasize a large number.
Example:
No fewer than 100 people attended the event.
Correction:
Wrong: No much than fifty trees...
Wrong: No few than fifty trees...
Correct: No fewer than fifty trees...
Final Sentence: No fewer than fifty trees were uprooted in the storm.
Conclusion: “fewer” is the most appropriate word to complete the sentence.