Question:medium

Read the sentence given below. A part of the sentence is underlined and split into segments (a) to (d). One of these segments may contain a grammatical error. If you find an error, select that segment. If the sentence is correct as given, select option (e), "No error".

Not less than fifty passengers were killed in the bus accident.

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Ask whether the noun being quantified can be counted one by one. Countable nouns take "fewer", not "less".
Updated On: Jul 20, 2026
  • Not less
  • than fifty
  • passengers were
  • killed in the bus accident.
  • No error
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Think of "less" and "fewer" as answering two different questions. "Less" answers "how much?" and pairs with things you measure, like water, money or time. "Fewer" answers "how many?" and pairs with things you count one at a time, like people, books or, in this case, passengers.

In the sentence "Not less than fifty passengers were killed in the bus accident," the word being modified is "passengers," a noun you can count individually: one passenger, two passengers, fifty passengers. Since it is countable, the correct minimum-quantity phrase is "not fewer than fifty passengers," not "not less than fifty passengers."

A quick test: try substituting an obviously uncountable noun into the same slot, such as "not less than fifty litres of fuel." That sounds natural because litres of fuel is a measured amount. Now swap in passengers and the mismatch becomes clear, confirming that "less" is the wrong word choice here.

None of the other underlined segments, "than fifty," "passengers were," or "killed in the bus accident," contain any grammatical fault. So the answer is option (a).
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