慶英会 塾長｜慶應義塾大学卒・英検1級
中高一貫校の学校英語・NEW TREASURE・英検対策を専門とするオンライン個別指導塾です。塾長紹介
英検準2級プラスの語句空所・長文読解では、fewer（より少ない個数）・less（より少ない量）・the number of（～の数）・the amount of（～の量）を区別する必要があります。fewer books / less water / the number of students / the amount of timeが基本です。慶英会の独自40問（空所8問・長文4題32問）で、貸出冊数・ごみの重量・測定回数・準備時間などを読み分けます。全解答・全文和訳付きです。
結論｜数えられるものはfewer、量はless
- fewer + 可算名詞の複数形：より少ない冊数・人数・回数。例：fewer books / fewer mistakes。
- less + 不可算名詞：より少ない時間・水・電力・情報。例：less time / less electricity。
- the number of + 可算名詞の複数形：～の数。主語にした場合、通常は単数扱い：The number of students has increased.
- the amount of + 不可算名詞：～の量。例：the amount of water / the amount of waste。
- 比較する対象の違い：ごみ袋の数が少なくても、袋が大きければごみの総量が少ないとは限らない。
実際の英語ではlessを数字のある可算表現などに使う慣用例もありますが、英語の学習・標準的な語法では、可算名詞にfewer、不可算名詞にlessを基本として判断しましょう。
英検準2級プラスの公式出題形式
日本英語検定協会が示す準2級プラスReadingは短文語句空所補充17問・長文語句空所補充6問・長文内容一致8問です。公式試験内容。以下は慶英会が独自に作成した追加演習で、公式過去問ではありません。
Part 1｜可算・不可算と比較の空所8問
問1
The library lent ___ printed books this month than last month.
問1｜正解・文法・和訳
正解：fewer。booksは可算名詞の複数形で比較級fewer。
全文和訳：図書館が今月貸した印刷本は先月より少なかった。
問2
The new lamp uses ___ electricity than the previous model.
問2｜正解・文法・和訳
正解：less。electricityは不可算名詞。量の比較はless。
全文和訳：新しい照明は前の型より電気を少なく使う。
問3
The ___ of students attending the workshop has increased.
問3｜正解・文法・和訳
正解：number。the number of + 複数名詞、主語としては単数扱い。
全文和訳：講座へ参加する生徒の人数は増加した。
問4
The ___ of water collected during the experiment was small.
問4｜正解・文法・和訳
正解：amount。the amount of + 不可算名詞。
全文和訳：実験で集めた水の量は少なかった。
問5
There were ___ chairs after the classroom was rearranged.
問5｜正解・文法・和訳
正解：fewer。chairsは数えられる椅子。
全文和訳：教室の配置変更後には椅子の数が減っていた。
問6
The students had ___ time for revision because of the delay.
問6｜正解・文法・和訳
正解：less。timeは不可算の時間の量。
全文和訳：遅延のため生徒の復習時間は少なくなった。
問7
The teacher counted the ___ of correct answers in each group.
問7｜正解・文法・和訳
正解：number。correct answersは可算名詞の複数形。
全文和訳：先生は班ごとの正答数を数えた。
問8
The report compared the ___ of waste produced by two activities.
問8｜正解・文法・和訳
正解：amount。wasteはこの文脈で不可算名詞。
全文和訳：報告書は二つの活動で出たごみの量を比較した。
Part 2｜図書館・清掃・理科・博物館の独自4長文32問
文章の数字が冊数・人数・時間・水量・回数のどれなのかを特定し、違う指標を混同していないか確認します。
長文1｜図書館の読書週間｜冊数と読書時間の比較
Reading passage（慶英会オリジナル）
A town library compared two English-reading weeks at a local school. In the first week, students borrowed eighty printed books. In the second week, they borrowed sixty printed books but spent more time reading digital materials. The librarian reported that twenty fewer printed books had been borrowed in the second week. However, the report did not say that students had spent less time reading overall. The library asked students to record the amount of time they spent reading, whether the material was printed or digital. The number of participating students also changed: fifty students completed the reading record in the first week, while sixty did so in the second. One volunteer assumed that fewer printed loans meant fewer students were interested in reading. The librarian explained that borrowing counts, participant counts and reading time were different measures. The team planned to compare these measures together before making recommendations about future book purchases.
問9. How many printed books were borrowed in the first week?
A. 60 ／ B. 80 ／ C. 20 ／ D. 50
問9｜正解と本文根拠
正解：B. 80
first week eighty printed books。
問10. How many were borrowed in the second week?
A. 80 ／ B. 20 ／ C. 60 ／ D. 70
問10｜正解と本文根拠
正解：C. 60
second week sixty。
問11. What was the change in printed-book borrowing?
A. Twenty fewer books ／ B. Twenty more books ／ C. No change ／ D. Ten fewer books
問11｜正解と本文根拠
正解：A. Twenty fewer books
80−60=20 fewer。
問12. What happened to time spent reading digital materials?
A. It became zero ／ B. It was never recorded ／ C. It decreased ／ D. It increased
問12｜正解と本文根拠
正解：D. It increased
spent more time reading digital。
問13. How many students completed the record in the first week?
A. 60 ／ B. 50 ／ C. 80 ／ D. 20
問13｜正解と本文根拠
正解：B. 50
fifty students completed record。
問14. How many completed it in the second week?
A. 50 ／ B. 20 ／ C. 60 ／ D. 80
問14｜正解と本文根拠
正解：C. 60
sixty second week。
問15. What did the library NOT conclude from fewer printed loans?
A. That students spent less time reading overall ／ B. That printed loans fell ／ C. That digital reading rose ／ D. That participation counts differed
問15｜正解と本文根拠
正解：A. That students spent less time reading overall
did not say less reading time overall。
問16. What did the library plan to compare together?
A. Only ticket prices ／ B. Only the number of chairs ／ C. Only the website visits ／ D. Book loans, participants and reading time
問16｜正解と本文根拠
正解：D. Book loans, participants and reading time
compare measures together。
長文1｜全文和訳
町の図書館は学校の二つの英語読書週間を比較した。最初の週は印刷本80冊を借り、2週目は60冊だったがデジタル教材を読む時間は増えた。司書は2週目の印刷本の貸出が20冊少なかったと記したが、読書の総時間が減ったとは述べなかった。生徒には印刷・デジタルを問わず読書に使う時間を記録するよう頼んだ。記録を終えた生徒も最初の週50人から2週目60人へ変わった。印刷本の貸出減を読書に関心のある生徒の減少だと考えたボランティアへ、司書は貸出冊数・参加人数・時間は異なる指標だと説明した。今後の購入方針の前に総合的に比較する予定。
長文2｜地域清掃｜ごみ袋の数とごみの量
Reading passage（慶英会オリジナル）
A community cleanup group compared two Saturday events. During the first event, volunteers filled thirty small rubbish bags. During the second event, they filled only twenty bags, but some of those bags were larger. One student wrote that the second event must have collected less waste because it used fewer bags. The organizer explained that the number of bags was not the same as the total amount of rubbish. To make a fair comparison, the group would need to measure the weight or volume collected. The group also noticed that it had used less drinking water during the second event, although the number of volunteers had increased from twenty to twenty-five. Staff warned that water use per person could be different from total water use. The team did not claim that the second cleanup was more effective solely because it used fewer bags or less water. Instead, it planned to record bag sizes, waste weights, volunteers and hours worked during the next cleanup.
問17. How many small rubbish bags were filled at the first event?
A. 20 ／ B. 30 ／ C. 25 ／ D. 50
問17｜正解と本文根拠
正解：B. 30
thirty small bags。
問18. How many bags were filled at the second event?
A. 30 ／ B. 25 ／ C. 20 ／ D. 50
問18｜正解と本文根拠
正解：C. 20
twenty bags。
問19. Why did bag count not determine waste amount?
A. Some bags were larger in the second event ／ B. Every bag was empty ／ C. The volunteers never counted bags ／ D. The second event was canceled
問19｜正解と本文根拠
正解：A. Some bags were larger in the second event
some bags were larger。
問20. What measurements would allow a fairer comparison?
A. The day of the week ／ B. The color of bags ／ C. The volunteers’ ages ／ D. Weight or volume of rubbish
問20｜正解と本文根拠
正解：D. Weight or volume of rubbish
measure weight or volume。
問21. What happened to total drinking-water use in the second event?
A. It doubled ／ B. It was lower ／ C. It stayed exactly the same ／ D. It was not discussed
問21｜正解と本文根拠
正解：B. It was lower
used less drinking water。
問22. How many volunteers joined the first event?
A. 25 ／ B. 30 ／ C. 20 ／ D. 50
問22｜正解と本文根拠
正解：C. 20
increased from twenty to twenty-five。
問23. How many joined the second event?
A. 25 ／ B. 20 ／ C. 30 ／ D. 50
問23｜正解と本文根拠
正解：A. 25
twenty-five。
問24. What did the group plan to record next time?
A. Only the bag count ／ B. Only the weather ／ C. Only the number of posters ／ D. Sizes, weights, people and work hours
問24｜正解と本文根拠
正解：D. Sizes, weights, people and work hours
record bag sizes, waste weights, volunteers and hours。
長文2｜全文和訳
地域清掃団体は二つの土曜行事を比較した。最初は小さなごみ袋30袋がいっぱいになり、2回目は20袋だけだったが一部は大きな袋だった。袋が少ないのでごみの量も必ず少なかったと書いた生徒に、主催者は袋の数とごみの総量は異なると説明し、正確には重量や体積を測る必要があるとした。2回目の飲料水の総使用量は減った一方、ボランティアは20人から25人に増えていた。職員は一人あたりの使用量と総量は違う場合があると注意した。袋や水が少なかったからといって2回目の活動が必ず有効だったとは主張せず、次回は袋の大きさ・ごみ重量・人数・作業時間を記録する予定だった。
長文3｜理科実験｜測定回数と水の総量
Reading passage（慶英会オリジナル）
A science class tested how plants used water under two different light conditions. In Experiment A, students took ten measurements and used a total of five hundred milliliters of water. In Experiment B, they took fifteen measurements and used a total of four hundred milliliters. The number of measurements was greater in B, but the amount of water used was smaller. The teacher asked students to explain why fewer and less were different: measurements are countable, while water is treated as an uncountable substance in this comparison. One group assumed that B must have involved fewer observations because less water had been used. The teacher corrected the idea using the actual records. She also warned that the experiments had different numbers of measurements, so comparing total water use alone could be misleading without considering the procedure. Students planned to check how much water had been used per measurement and whether the light conditions were otherwise comparable. No conclusion about which method was better had yet been confirmed.
問25. How many measurements were taken in Experiment A?
A. 15 ／ B. 10 ／ C. 5 ／ D. 20
問25｜正解と本文根拠
正解：B. 10
Experiment A ten measurements。
問26. How much water was used in A?
A. 400 mL ／ B. 300 mL ／ C. 500 mL ／ D. 900 mL
問26｜正解と本文根拠
正解：C. 500 mL
five hundred milliliters。
問27. How many measurements were taken in B?
A. 15 ／ B. 10 ／ C. 20 ／ D. 5
問27｜正解と本文根拠
正解：A. 15
B fifteen measurements。
問28. How much water was used in B?
A. 500 mL ／ B. 900 mL ／ C. 300 mL ／ D. 400 mL
問28｜正解と本文根拠
正解：D. 400 mL
four hundred milliliters。
問29. Which experiment had more measurements?
A. A ／ B. B ／ C. Both equal ／ D. Neither was measured
問29｜正解と本文根拠
正解：B. B
B fifteen > A ten。
問30. Which experiment used less water in total?
A. A ／ B. Both equal ／ C. B ／ D. No comparison possible
問30｜正解と本文根拠
正解：C. B
B 400 < A 500。
問31. What was the group’s mistaken assumption?
A. Less water meant fewer observations ／ B. Every experiment used 500 mL ／ C. Water was a countable noun ／ D. Both had the same measurement count
問31｜正解と本文根拠
正解：A. Less water meant fewer observations
less water did not imply fewer observations。
問32. What did students plan to calculate?
A. Museum ticket prices ／ B. The classroom’s electricity bill ／ C. Number of laboratory chairs ／ D. Water per measurement
問32｜正解と本文根拠
正解：D. Water per measurement
check how much water used per measurement。
長文3｜全文和訳
理科の授業では二つの光の条件下で植物の水利用を試した。実験Aは測定10回で水を合計500mL使い、実験Bは測定15回で水を合計400mL使った。Bの測定回数は多いが使用した水の総量は少ない。先生はmeasurementsは数えられる一方、waterはこの比較では不可算なのでfewerとlessが異なると説明した。水が少なかったためBは観察回数も少ないと考えた班へ、先生は記録を示して訂正した。また測定回数が違うため、手順を考慮せず水の総量だけ比べると誤解を招き得ると注意した。生徒は測定1回あたりの水量と光条件の比較可能性を確かめる予定で、どの方法が優れるかは未確定だった。
長文4｜科学館のイベント｜人数と準備時間
Reading passage（慶英会オリジナル）
A museum organized two small science workshops. The first session had eighteen registered participants and took ninety minutes to prepare. The second session had twelve registered participants and required sixty minutes of preparation because the equipment had already been organized. The organizer said the second session had fewer registered people and needed less preparation time. However, staff could not conclude from these two facts alone that the second session was better. The first workshop included a longer hands-on experiment, whereas the second involved a shorter demonstration. At the end, the first session had sixteen actual attendees and the second had eleven. A student reported that the number of attendees was the same as the number registered. The museum corrected the record and explained that registration, attendance and preparation time should be kept in separate columns. It planned to compare the amount of equipment and participant feedback before choosing a format for future events.
問33. How many registered for the first workshop?
A. 12 ／ B. 18 ／ C. 16 ／ D. 11
問33｜正解と本文根拠
正解：B. 18
first eighteen registered。
問34. How many registered for the second?
A. 18 ／ B. 16 ／ C. 12 ／ D. 11
問34｜正解と本文根拠
正解：C. 12
second twelve。
問35. How long did first-session preparation take?
A. 90 minutes ／ B. 60 minutes ／ C. 30 minutes ／ D. 120 minutes
問35｜正解と本文根拠
正解：A. 90 minutes
ninety minutes。
問36. How long did second-session preparation take?
A. 90 minutes ／ B. 30 minutes ／ C. 120 minutes ／ D. 60 minutes
問36｜正解と本文根拠
正解：D. 60 minutes
sixty minutes。
問37. What was actual attendance at the first workshop?
A. 18 ／ B. 16 ／ C. 12 ／ D. 11
問37｜正解と本文根拠
正解：B. 16
first actual sixteen。
問38. What was actual attendance at the second?
A. 12 ／ B. 16 ／ C. 11 ／ D. 18
問38｜正解と本文根拠
正解：C. 11
second actual eleven。
問39. What could NOT be concluded simply from fewer people and less time?
A. That the second workshop was necessarily better ／ B. That the second had twelve registered ／ C. That the first needed ninety minutes ／ D. That the first had a longer experiment
問39｜正解と本文根拠
正解：A. That the second workshop was necessarily better
not conclude second better from two facts alone。
問40. What did the museum plan to compare next?
A. Only room numbers ／ B. Only ticket colors ／ C. The weather ／ D. Equipment amount and participant feedback
問40｜正解と本文根拠
正解：D. Equipment amount and participant feedback
compare equipment and feedback。
長文4｜全文和訳
科学館は二つの理科講座を開いた。1回目は登録18人、準備90分、2回目は登録12人、機器の整理がすでに済んでいたため準備60分だった。主催者は2回目の登録人数が少なく準備時間も短いと説明したが、その二つだけで2回目が優れているとは結論できない。1回目は長い体験実験を含み、2回目は短い実演中心だった。実際の来場は1回目16人、2回目11人。登録数を来場人数と同じにして報告した生徒に、博物館は登録・実来場・準備時間を分けて記録するよう訂正した。次回の形式選択前に機器の量と参加者の感想を比較する予定だった。
復習｜名詞と数値の両方を確認
- fewer books / fewer studentsなど個数を数える表現を練習する。
- less water / less timeなど量を比較する表現を練習する。
- the number ofとthe amount ofの目的語の違いを説明する。
- ごみ袋の個数とごみの重量のように、関連していても違う指標を分ける。
- 翌日と1週間後に長文32問を再解答し、人数・量・時間を本文の根拠で判断する。
FAQ
fewerとlessの違いは？
基本的にfewerは数えられる名詞の個数、lessは数えられない量に使います。
the number of studentsの動詞は複数形ですか？
「生徒の数」を主語とする場合は、通常The number of students is …のように単数扱いです。
ごみ袋の数が減ったらごみの量も減ったと言えますか？
必ずしもそうではありません。袋の大きさが異なる場合などは重量・体積などの比較が必要です。
関連する慶英会の無料教材
- few・a few・little・a little｜可算・不可算の40問
- percentage point・percent change｜割合と増減の40問
- accuracy・efficiency・effectiveness｜正確さと効率の40問
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慶英会 塾長｜慶應義塾大学卒・英検1級。中高一貫校の学校英語・NEW TREASURE・英検対策を専門としています。塾長の経歴・指導方針を確認する