A little rule of use. The use of a little, little, a few and few in English. Using few, a few, little, a little, a lot of, plenty
Have you noticed how often we use the words “many”, “few”, “several” in speech and how much we do not like to name exact numbers? The British, who are secretive by nature, also very often use these words in their speech. When we say "a lot" in English, we use the words many, much, a lot of, plenty of, and when we say “little” - few, a few, little, a little. These words are called determiners(defining words), they indicate an indefinite amount of something. From the article you will learn when and where to use much, many, few, little, a lot of, plenty of in English.
The noun plays a key role in choosing a defining word. It depends on what kind of noun is in front of us, countable ( countable noun) or uncountable ( uncountable noun), depends on what it will be determiner. Let us remind you once again that we can count countable nouns and they have a plural form ( a boy – boys). Uncountable nouns do not have a plural form ( water – some water), and we can't count them.
We divided all the words into three groups depending on which noun they are used with. We will consider each group separately.
| Much/Little (a lot/little) |
Many/Few (a lot/little) |
A lot of / Plenty of (a lot of) |
|---|---|---|
| Uncountable nouns | Countable nouns | Countable and uncountable nouns |
| How much money have you got? - How much money do you have? There is little ink left in my pen. — There is little ink left in my pen. |
I have many friends. - I have many friends. He has got few friends. - He has few friends. |
There is a lot of sugar there. - There's a lot of sugar in there. There are plenty of plants in the garden. – There are many plants in the garden. |
Many, few, a few with countable nouns
Words many(a lot of), few(few), a few(some) are used with countable nouns. Many means a large amount of something: many apples(many apples), many friends(many friends), many ideas(many ideas).
Opposite many- This few: few apples(few apples) few friends(few friends), few ideas(few ideas). U few often a negative meaning: something is very small, not enough, so little that it is practically non-existent.
A few is intermediate between many And few, translated as “several”: a few apples(a few apples) a few friends(some friends), a few ideas(several ideas).
– Do you have many friends in this part of the city? - At your place a lot of friends in this part of town?
– No, I don’t. I have few friends in this part of the city. - I do not have few friends in this part of town. (that is, not enough, I would like more)
– I have a few friends in the city center. - I have some friends in the city center.
Much, little, a little with uncountable nouns
Words much(a lot of), little(few), a little(a little) are used with uncountable nouns. Usually uncountable liquids include liquids ( water– water, oil- oil), objects too small that cannot be counted ( sand- sand, flour- flour), or abstract concepts, since they cannot be seen or touched with hands ( knowledge– knowledge, work- Job).
Much denotes a large amount of something uncountable: much sugar(a lot of sugar), much milk(a lot of milk), much time(a lot of time).
Opposite much- This little: little sugar(little sugar) little milk(little milk) little time(little time). Little, as well as few, means that something is not enough, very little.
A little implies a small amount of something that cannot be counted: a little sugar(a little sugar), a little milk(some milk), a little time(a little time).
– Did she put much salt in the soup? - She a lot of did you put salt in the soup?
– No, she didn’t. She put little salt in the soup. - No, she put it few salt in soup. (could have been more)
– I added a little salt in her soup. - I added A little salt in her soup.
A lot of, plenty of – universal words
Words a lot of(a lot) and plenty of(many) the most “convenient”: we can use them with both countable and uncountable nouns.
A lot of (lots of) replaces much And many: a lot of people(many people), lots of tea(a lot of tea). Plenty of means that there is a lot of something, that is, enough or even more than needed: plenty of people(a lot of people), plenty of tea(a lot of tea).
We bought lots of souvenirs and plenty of tea when we were on vacation in Sri Lanka. - We bought a lot of souvenirs and so many tea when we were on vacation in Sri Lanka.
Features and exceptions
- Much, many, few, little, a lot of with uncountable nouns
There are a number of nouns that appear to be countable, but in fact are not. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine the "countability" of a noun. If you are not sure which noun is in front of you, it is better to check it in. Please note that in English uncountables include advice(advice), news(news), work(Job), money(money), research(study), travel(journey), furniture(furniture).
They have much work to do. - They have a lot of work.
She told me a little fascinating news. - She told me some interesting news.
And now a little life hack. We can add to an uncountable noun, which will help us count these same uncountable nouns.
She drank much water. - She drank much water.
She drank many glasses of water. - She drank a lot of glasses water.Can you buy canned food and bread? – Can you buy canned food and bread?
Can you buy a can of corn and a loaf of bread? - You can buy jar canned corn and bun of bread? - Much, many, few, little, a lot of in different types of sentences
In affirmative sentences you will often hear a lot of, how much or many. In negative and interrogative sentences it is preferable to use much or many, But a lot of also occurs.
– Did you take many photographs when you were in New York? - You did a lot of photos when you were in New York?
– It was a business trip! I didn't take many photographs as I didn't have much time. – I was on a business trip! I did not do a lot of I didn't have any photos a lot of time.
– But I had a lot of meetings and I ate a lot of unhealthy food. - But I had a lot of meetings and I ate a lot of junk food.However, if there are adverbs very(Very), too(too much), so(so), then in affirmative sentences after them there can only be much And many.
I ate a lot of fish. - I ate a lot of fish.
I ate too much fish. - I ate too much fish.You ask me a lot of questions. - You ask me a lot of questions.
You ask me so many questions. - You ask me so much questions.U few And little There is also one important feature. Very often in the flow of speech we may not distinguish, the interlocutor said few or a few, little or a little. To prevent this from happening, few And little the word is added very, the meaning of the statement does not change.
He has very little experience in this field. He has a little experience in another one. - Him few experience in this field (almost no). He has A little experience in another field.
He knows very few people in the building. He didn't know a few people where he lived before. - He knows few people (almost no one) living in the same house with him. He knew some people where he lived before.
- Degrees of comparison much, many, few, little
We can not only name a quantity, but also compare it with another quantity. Form of comparative degree for much And many – more(more).
She usually spends much money on clothes but that time she spent even more. - She usually spends a lot of money for clothes, but that time she spent more more.
She usually buys many dresses and many bags but yesterday she bought more dresses than bags. - She usually buys a lot of dresses and a lot of bags, but yesterday she bought more dresses than bags.
Comparative degree for little- This less(less), for few – fewer(less).
I have known her for a long time and she used to have fewer cats. – I’ve known her for a very long time; she used to have less cats
I drink very little tea and I drink even less milk. - I drink a lot few tea, but still milk less.
About other features much, many you can learn from the video from the teacher Ronnie.
You can download our sign and use it whenever you want. We also recommend that you practice using much, many, few, little, a lot of in our test.
(*.pdf, 181 Kb)
Test
Using much, many, few, little, a lot of, plenty
It is known that the English language is very different in structure from Russian. A particular problem for the Russian-speaking population learning English is the pronouns few and little. The difference between them, despite the obvious meaning, is not immediately apparent. However, it can be understood quite quickly. All you need to do is show a little curiosity and patience.
Countable and uncountable nouns
Let's start with the fact that nouns in English can be divided into two categories: countable and uncountable.
The classification by countability in the Russian language completely coincides with the English language, therefore, having become accustomed and learning to distinguish these two groups of nouns from each other, you can immediately move on to studying few and little and the difference between them.
When is few used?
Few translates as "few". It is used in combination with countable (and only countable) nouns.
Here are some examples of using few in English sentences.
| Example | Translation |
| When I entered the room, I saw a few people sitting on the sofa and talking to each other very lovely | Entering the room, I saw several people sitting on the sofa and happily talking to each other |
| She found too few eggs in her refrigerator to cook a cake, so she decided to make an omlette | She found too few eggs in the refrigerator to bake a cake, so she decided to make an omelette |
| My girlfriend visited this town for so few times that she hasn't noticed yet how much had it changed | My girlfriend has visited this city so few times that she has not yet noticed how much it has changed |
| It is the most unconvinient thing for all painters to see that there are too few pencils to draw something beautiful, but too many of them to buy a new set | The most unpleasant (inconvenient) thing for an artist is to see that there are too few pencils left to draw something beautiful, but too many to buy a new set |
In all four cases, the word few was used with countable nouns: people, eggs, times (trips to the city) and pencils.
When should you use little?
The difference with few can be traced directly: if so far we have been talking about countable nouns, now we will talk about uncountable nouns.
Here are some examples of using little.
In all four cases, uncountable nouns are used: happiness, milk, tea and water.
Difference between fewer and less
These words are a comparative form of the pronouns already discussed in this article. The difference (few and little) remains even in comparative form, but the rule remains unchanged.
It looks like this.
Continuing the theme of the difference (few and little), it only remains to say that cramming this rule is useless in most cases. It is much easier to master it with examples. You can use those provided in this article, but it will be much more effective to come up with your own. Reading will also help with memorization: stable sentences, which over time are stored in the memory of a diligent student, do not require each time to re-remember the learned rule and are written without errors, “automatically.”
In this article we will look at when and how to use pronouns few, a few, little, a little, a lot of, some, any, called with a beautiful word - quantifiers(quantifiers). They often have the same meaning, but their use in English depends on what object they describe - that is, with which noun - countable or uncountable - they are used.
Scheme for using quantifiers:
The details will help you master audio lessons from the LingQ foreign language learning system, which is described in the article. For convenience, Russian translations are given after each English text.
1. Quantifiers little - few
We use " a little» with uncountable nouns, for example:
I have some money. This means: some amount, not very much.
We use " a few» with plural countable nouns, for example:
I know a few words of French. This means: some amount, not very much.
We can use " little" And " few" without " a”, but in this case it means “almost no” or “almost nothing”, for example: We must hurry, we have little time.
His English is very good and he makes few mistakes.
We can also say " very little" or " very few"(very few), for example:
She is very thin because she eats very little.
I made very few mistakes in the test.
And here are more examples using " a little" And " a few«:
I can't buy this coat today: I have very little money.
She left and returned a few minutes later.
There are very few old houses left on our street.
She gave us some water to wash our hands.
They are very poor and have very little money.
I speak good German and also some Spanish.
There were very few people in the park: it was almost empty.
Can I have some milk in my coffee, please?
I hope you think these suggestions will ensure that you make very few mistakes when speaking English.
2. Quantifiers much - many - a lot of
USAGE much, many, a lot of. We use much with uncountable nouns, for example: a lot of time, a lot of coffee, a lot of money, a lot of sugar. We use many with countable nouns, for example: many books, many months, many years, many friends. We use a lot of with both uncountable and countable nouns, for example: a lot of friends, a lot of sugar, a lot of photographs, a lot of time. However, it is important to note that:
1. We use a lot of mostly in positive sentences, for example: I drink a lot of tea. She carries a lot of books.
2. We use much And many mostly in questions and negative sentences, for example: How much money do you have? I don't have much money today. How many mistakes did you make in the test? I didn't make many mistakes, just a few.
3. We can use lots of instead of a lot of before countable nouns, for example: She has many friends.
4. We can use a lot without noun and in this case we use it without the particle of eg: yesterday I ate a lot.
5. Sometimes much And a lot mean often, for example: Do you often go to the cinema? - Not, no so much. Yes, I love films; I go to the cinema often.
More examples using much, many And a lot: I drink a lot of coffee, and my sister drinks a lot of tea. What about you, do you drink a lot of coffee? I don't know a lot of people here. She made a lot of mistakes. There was a lot of food on the table. He talks a lot but does little. There is not much milk in the refrigerator. How many foreign languages can you speak? There are many trees in our park. I have money, but not much. I have read a lot of English books.
What about you: have you read a lot of English books?
3. Quantifiers some - any
USAGE some And any. We use some in positive sentences, with both countable and uncountable nouns, for example: I need some flour and some butter to make a cake. They made several mistakes. But the meaning may differ: use some with uncountable nouns means “a little”; but use some with countable nouns means ‘several’, for example: Not a lot of sugar, a few books. We use any in negative sentences, for example: We don't have any milk. They didn't make a single mistake. We can also use any in most questions (but not all), for example: Do you have any dictionaries? Was there any water in the glass? But usually we use some Not any in questions when we offer things, for example: Would you like some coffee? Or when we ask for some things, for example: can you lend me some money?
And here are more examples of use any And some: There is some butter in the refrigerator, but no milk at all. Are there eggs? - No, there are no eggs left. There are several photographs on the wall. Do you want some tea? Do you have any brothers or sisters? Can I have some water please? Can you speak any foreign languages? I have English books, but not many. Are there shops on this street? — Yes, there are several shops on this street. They didn't make a single mistake. And what about you? Have you made mistakes? I hope you haven't made any mistakes.
As an adverb Little, so and adverb Few means " few«, « small, insufficient amount of something". The difference is that Little used with Not, A Few- With countable nouns.
For example:
They have very little money.
They have very few money.
There seems little hope.
There seems to be hope few.
Hey very much little at lunch.
He ate a lot few at lunch.
Only few people can afford to pay such prices.
Few who can afford such prices.
I know few places that I could recommend to you.
I few I know places that I can recommend to you.
Adverbs Little And Few have a somewhat negative connotation.
For example:
I know few places that I could recommend to you. = I would like to be able to recommend more places, but unfortunately there aren’t more.
I few I know places that I can recommend to you. = I wish I could recommend more places to you, but unfortunately there are no other places.
If before adverbs Little And Few the indefinite article is used a, they acquire a positive connotation and have a meaning similar to the word some – « some«, « some amount«, « A little" etc.
A Few used with countable nouns.
For example:
We need to get a few things in town.
We need something pick up in the city.
We've got a few cakes left over from the party. = We've got some cakes left over from the party.
We have some left over from the evening some cakes.
A Little used with .
For example:
With a little training Mike could do very well.
A little With practice, Mike will succeed.
www.correctenglish.ru
Few, a few, little, a little: difference in usage
Use of pronouns few, a few, little, a little is not the most difficult topic in English grammar, so we will deal with it quickly and without unnecessary worries.
General translation of words few, a few, little, a little – 'few'. What's the difference then?
Few and a few are used exclusively with countable nouns, little and a little - with uncountable nouns. Few and little mean 'few', that is, not enough. A few and a little – 'A little', but enough.
Thus we get:
Few + countable noun = few..., not enough...
A few + countable noun = a few…., enough….
Little + uncountable noun = little..., not enough...
A little + uncountable noun = a little…., enough….
Few hours – few hours
Few friends – few friends
Few cars – few cars
A few apples
A few chairs
A few men - several people
Little honey - little honey
Little sugar - little sugar
Little love - little love
A little water - a little water
A little warmth - a little warmth
A little time - a little time
That is, the question is what to use - (a) few or (a) little, disappears after you determine which word these pronouns refer to: if it is a countable noun, use (a) few, if it is an uncountable noun, use (a) little.
Consider also with examples.
Few or a few?
Few - not enough, not enough for business
A few – not enough (= a few), but enough for the job.
I have few books for my dissertation. I need to go to the local library. – I don’t have enough books to write my dissertation. I need to visit the local library.
Though the local library is not big and modern, I managed to find a few books for my dissertation. – Although the local library is not large or modern, I still managed to find several books for my dissertation.
Little or little?
Little - not enough, not enough for business
A little - not much, but enough for the job.
I have so little money. I can't even afford this dress. - I have so little money. I can't even afford this dress.
If I had a little money, I would get this dress. – If I had some money, I would get this dress.
Only a few and only a little.
Remember, when used after only, only a few or a little, although by value we often get ‘little’, ‘not enough’ .
I’ve only a few minutes, I should hurry not to miss the bus. - I only have a few minutes. I have to hurry so as not to miss the bus.
I’ve only got a little sugar so I can’t make this wonderful cake. – I have very little sugar, I can’t bake this wonderful cake.
18 Comments for “Few, a few, a little, a little: difference in usage”
Using much, many, little, few
To avoid confusion, you need to be able to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns.
Much - a lot
Used only with uncountable nouns (nouns that we cannot count, for example: types of liquid, bulk products (salt, sugar) and so on).
Example:
You drink too much beer - You drink too much beer
We got too much homework - We were given a lot of homework.
Please note that after much
Remember: in colloquial speech much used in interrogative and negative sentences. If you use much in affirmative sentences, then it should be used together with too ( too much - too much)
Do you drink milk much? – Do you drink a lot of milk?
I don’t drink milk much - I don’t drink much milk
I drink too much milk - I drink too much milk
Instead of much you can use a lot of (a lot)
You drink a lot of beer - You drink a lot of beer
We got a lot of homework - We were given a lot of homework
If much you can only use with uncountable nouns, then after a lot of You can use uncountable nouns and countable nouns in the plural.
I drink a lot of juice – I drink a lot of juice (juice – uncountable noun)
I eat a lot of oranges- I eat a lot of oranges (oranges are plural countable nouns)
A lot of Unlike much can be used in all types of sentences (affirmation, question and negation)
A lot of children watched this cartoon – Many children watched this cartoon.
A lot of children didn’t watch this cartoon – Many children did not watch this cartoon.
Did you watch a lot of cartoons? – Have you watched a lot of cartoons?
Using many
Many like much, And a lot of translated as "a lot".
But note that after many only countable nouns are always used. (nouns that we can count: chair, tree, cat and so on)
I brought many flowers- I brought a lot of flowers. (flowers are countable nouns)
My little sister has many toys - My little sister has a lot of toys.
My friend has many problems - My friend has a lot of problems.
Remember: Many years- many years, many weeks- many weeks many days- a lot of days. In this case, you can only use many, cannot be used a lot of.
Using little and few
Little and few- few
The difference is that after little Only uncountable nouns are used (little time, little water, little space and so on)
I can’t speak to you, I have little time - I can’t talk to you, I don’t have much time.
After few Only countable nouns are used (few pencils, few oranges, few tables and so on)
Example:
I have few books, but they are very interesting - I have few books, but they are very interesting.
Using a little and a few - a little
The rules are the same, after a little Uncountable nouns are used after a few– countable.
I have a little time, I can speak to you - I have a little time, I can talk to you.
I have a few books, I can give you one - I have several books, I can give you one.
Using much, many, few, little, a lot of, plenty
In order not to miss new useful materials, subscribe to site updates
- 144 shares
Have you noticed how often we use the words “many”, “few”, “several” in speech and how much we do not like to name exact numbers? The British, who are secretive by nature, also very often use these words in their speech. When we say "a lot" in English, we use the words many, much, a lot of, plenty of, and when we say “little” - few, a few, little, a little. These words are called determiners(defining words), they indicate an indefinite amount of something. From the article you will learn when and where to use much, many, few, little, a lot of, plenty of in English.
The noun plays a key role in choosing a defining word. It depends on what kind of noun is in front of us, countable ( countable noun) or uncountable ( uncountable noun), depends on what it will be determiner. Let us remind you once again that we can count countable nouns and they have a plural form ( a boy – boys). Uncountable nouns do not have a plural form ( water – some water), and we can't count them.
We divided all the words into three groups depending on which noun they are used with. We will consider each group separately.
There is little ink left in my pen. — There is little ink left in my pen.
He has got few friends. - He has few friends.
There are plenty of plants in the garden. – There are many plants in the garden.
Many, few, a few with countable nouns
Words many(a lot of), few(few), a few(some) are used with countable nouns. Many means a large amount of something: many apples(many apples), many friends(many friends), many ideas(many ideas).
Opposite many- This few: few apples(few apples) few friends(few friends), few ideas(few ideas). U few often a negative meaning: something is very small, not enough, so little that it is practically non-existent.
A few is intermediate between many And few, translated as “several”: a few apples(a few apples) a few friends(some friends), a few ideas(several ideas).
– Do you have many friends in this part of the city? - At your place a lot of friends in this part of town?
– No, I don’t. I have few friends in this part of the city. - I do not have few friends in this part of town. (that is, not enough, I would like more)
– I have a few friends in the city center. - I have some friends in the city center.
Much, little, a little with uncountable nouns
Words much(a lot of), little(few), a little(a little) are used with uncountable nouns. Usually uncountable liquids include liquids ( water– water, oil- oil), objects too small that cannot be counted ( sand- sand, flour- flour), or abstract concepts, since they cannot be seen or touched with hands ( knowledge– knowledge, work- Job).
Much denotes a large amount of something uncountable: much sugar(a lot of sugar), much milk(a lot of milk), much time(a lot of time).
Opposite much- This little: little sugar(little sugar) little milk(little milk) little time(little time). Little, as well as few, means that something is not enough, very little.
A little implies a small amount of something that cannot be counted: a little sugar(a little sugar), a little milk(some milk), a little time(a little time).
– Did she put much salt in the soup? - She a lot of did you put salt in the soup?
– No, she didn’t. She put little salt in the soup. - No, she put it few salt in soup. (could have been more)
– I added a little salt in her soup. - I added A little salt in her soup.
A lot of, plenty of – universal words
Words a lot of(a lot) and plenty of(many) the most “convenient”: we can use them with both countable and uncountable nouns.
A lot of (lots of) replaces much And many: a lot of people(many people), lots of tea(a lot of tea). Plenty of means that there is a lot of something, that is, enough or even more than needed: plenty of people(a lot of people), plenty of tea(a lot of tea).
We bought lots of souvenirs and plenty of tea when we were on vacation in Sri Lanka. - We bought a lot of souvenirs and so many tea when we were on vacation in Sri Lanka.
Features and exceptions
- Much, many, few, little, a lot of with uncountable nouns
There are a number of nouns that appear to be countable, but in fact are not. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine the "countability" of a noun. If you are not sure which noun is in front of you, it is better to check it in the dictionary. Please note that in English uncountables include advice(advice), news(news), work(Job), money(money), research(study), travel(journey), furniture(furniture).
They have much work to do. - They have a lot of work.
She told me a little fascinating news. - She told me some interesting news.
And now a little life hack. We can add special words to an uncountable noun that will help us count these same uncountable nouns.
She drank much water. - She drank much water.
She drank many glasses of water. - She drank a lot of glasses water.
Can you buy canned food and bread? – Can you buy canned food and bread?
Can you buy a can of corn and a loaf of bread? - You can buy jar canned corn and bun of bread?
Much, many, few, little, a lot of in different types of sentences
In affirmative sentences you will often hear a lot of, how much or many. In negative and interrogative sentences it is preferable to use much or many, But a lot of also occurs.
– Did you take many photographs when you were in New York? - You did a lot of photos when you were in New York?
– It was a business trip! I didn't take many photographs as I didn't have much time. – I was on a business trip! I did not do a lot of I didn't have any photos a lot of time.
– But I had a lot of meetings and I ate a lot of unhealthy food. - But I had a lot of meetings and I ate a lot of junk food.
However, if there are adverbs very(Very), too(too much), so(so), then in affirmative sentences after them there can only be much And many.
I ate a lot of fish. - I ate a lot of fish.
I ate too much fish. - I ate too much fish.
You ask me a lot of questions. - You ask me a lot of questions.
You ask me so many questions. - You ask me so much questions.
U few And little There is also one important feature. Very often in the flow of speech we may not distinguish, the interlocutor said few or a few, little or a little. To prevent this from happening, few And little the word is added very, the meaning of the statement does not change.
He has very little experience in this field. He has a little experience in another one. - Him few experience in this field (almost no). He has A little experience in another field.
He knows very few people in the building. He didn't know a few people where he lived before. - He knows few people (almost no one) living in the same house with him. He knew some people where he lived before.
We can not only name a quantity, but also compare it with another quantity. Form of comparative degree for much And many – more(more).
She usually spends much money on clothes but that time she spent even more. - She usually spends a lot of money for clothes, but that time she spent more more.
She usually buys many dresses and many bags but yesterday she bought more dresses than bags. - She usually buys a lot of dresses and a lot of bags, but yesterday she bought more dresses than bags.
Comparative degree for little- This less(less), for few – fewer(less).
I have known her for a long time and she used to have fewer cats. – I’ve known her for a very long time; she used to have less cats
I drink very little tea and I drink even less milk. - I drink a lot few tea, but still milk less.
About other features much, many you can learn from the video from the teacher Ronnie.
You can download our sign and use it whenever you want. We also recommend that you practice using much, many, few, little, a lot of in our test.
Use of few, little and a few, a little
Today we will look at the words with which we talk about a small amount of something or someone: few, little And a few, a little. In English, sometimes one small detail can completely change the meaning of what is being said. Let's find out how to add a before words few And little changes their meaning.
Use of few
Pronunciation and translation:
Few / [fyu] – not enough
Few is used with (people, chairs, flowers, apples).
This word is used to emphasize a small amount of something or someone. That is, we say that we have not enough of something or someone for a specific matter.
Few has a negative meaning, we say that something is not enough and we regret it. For example, she had few acquaintances in this city, that is, she lacked communication and was lonely.
This country has few natural resources.
This country has few natural resources.
Few politicians admit their mistakes.
Few politicians admit their mistakes.
Using little
Pronunciation and translation:
Little [?l?tl] / [little] – little
Meaning of the word:
Small amount
Little we use with things we can't count(time, money, water, sugar, salt).
This word has the same meaning as few, indicating that something or someone is not enough for some purpose. And a person is upset by such a small number.
For example, he has few money, that is, he does not have enough money to buy food.
She spends little time with her family.
She spends few time with my family.
This flower gets little sunshine
This flower gets few sunlight.
Using a few
Pronunciation and translation:
A few [? fju?] / [e fyu] – several
A few, also as few is used with objects that we can count.
However, when we talk a few, the sentence takes on a positive meaning, that is, the person speaking is not at all upset by a small amount of something. He believes that this amount is quite enough.
For example, she had some acquaintances in this city, that is, she had someone to spend time with, this number of acquaintances was quite enough.
I have got a few suggestions.
I have some proposals.
She gave him a few books.
She gave him some books.
Using a little
Pronunciation and translation:
A little [? ?l?tl] / [e little] – a little
Meaning of the word:
A small amount of
A little, also like little, is used with objects that we cannot count.
We use this word when we talk about what we have there is a small amount of something. It's not much, but maybe quite enough for our purposes.
For example, he has some money, that is, he can afford to go to the store and buy groceries.
We have a little water.
We have A little water.
He speaks a little English.
He A little speaks English.
What is the difference?
Few And little have the same meaning a small amount of something or someone. These words indicate exactly the lack of something or someone. And they express the speaker’s regret about such a small number.
The difference between them is that few we use with objects that we can count, A little with objects that we can't count.
He has few friends and little money.
Him few friends and few money.
A few and a little indicate a small amount of something, but enough for the person speaking. A person does not feel regret about such a small amount.
A few used with items that we we can count, a little used with objects which cannot be counted.
He has a few friends and a little money.
Him some friends and A little money.
Examples of using
Let's take another look at examples showing the difference between few And a few, little And a little.
Few And a few used with objects that we can count.
What is the difference between few and a few in English?
Here you can find out what is the difference between few and a few.
In some grammatical sources there are few and a few are called adverbs, and in others - quantitative pronouns. In any case, these words are used before nouns and both are translated as "a little, somewhat".
It is important to remember that both words few and a few are used only before countable nouns. They are distinguished only by a slight difference in the implied quantity. For example:
Jeremy has a few friends in Argentina. - Jeremy has several friends in Argentina.
There are few buildings in that district. - There are few buildings in that area.
Thus, few is little, while a few is several/not much, but enough. That is, the article a/an gives the word a more positive connotation. Let's look at a few more examples:
We drove a few hundred miles today. - We drove several (many) hundred miles today.
I know few places in the town worth visiting. - I know several (few) places in the city that need to be visited.
We've got a few cupcakes left for you. - We have a few (quite a few) cupcakes left for you.
It is noteworthy that after the words only and just The pronoun a few is used. For example:
Do we have any cookies left? Just a few. - Do we still have cookies left? Just a few.
Only a few of her poems were published. - Only some of her poems were published.
Loading...
