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Theory
- ‘Few’ and ‘a few’ are used with countable nouns, e.g. dogs, tables, pencils.
- ’Little’ and ‘a little’ are used with uncountable nouns, e.g. money, time, love.
- ‘Few’ and ‘little’ convey negative meaning. Use them when you want to say that you don’t have enough of something. E.g. We can’t talk now, I have little time. It means that I don’t have enough time to talk.
- ‘A few’ and ‘a little’ convey neutral or positive meaning. Use them when you want to say that you have enough of something. E.g. Do you want to chat? I have a little time. It means that I have enough time to talk.
Exercise 1
Compare those sentences. Decide whether the speakers are happy or unhappy about their situation and then check your answers.
A) Which speaker is lonely?
I have a few friends.
I don’t need more friends because I have enough. 😀
I have few friends.
I’m lonely because I don’t have enough friends. 😞
B) Which speaker is in a hurry?
I have a little time.
We can go grab a coffee. 😀
I have little time.
Sorry, I’m in a hurry. 😞
C) Which speaker needs your help?
I have few ideas.
Can you help me? 😞
I have a few ideas.
I don’t need your help. 😀
D) Which speaker is more likely to pass the test?
I studied a little.
I think I’ll pass the test. 😀
I studied little.
I’m scared that I’ll fail. 😞
Exercise 2 - Learn with clips
Which one is correct: little / a little?
Watch the clips and check your answers!
1a ”How well are you trained in music?” ”I know ..., I studied it in my youth.” (I know something 😐)
1b ”My father abandoned me to the world of men when I was six years old. I know ... of the love between father and son.” (I don’t know much 😞)
Which one is correct: few / a few?
2a ”Who are we? Hardly the stuff of legend.” ”There are ... warriors amongst us.” (we have some warriors, don’t worry 😀)
2b ”As a matter of fact there are very ... men here who are committed.” (not many man 😐)
Which one is correct: little / a little?
3a ”There's a lot for you to know and very ... time to explain.” (we don’t have much time 😞)
3b ”Give him ... more time.” (some time 😐)
Which one is correct: few / a few?
4a ”So ..., so ... of you have returned” (not many 😞)
4b ”I’ll send word for you in ... days Mr Angier” (soon, you won’t have to wait long 😐)
Exercise 3
Are you ready for something more difficult? Read the quotes and fill in the gaps with little, a little, few or a few. Then watch the clips and check your answers.
- Decide if the noun following the gap is countable (few or a few) or uncountable (little or a little).
- Then decide if the speakers mean that there’s enough (a few, a little) of something or not enough (few, little) of something.
Good luck and have fun!
Example 1
“I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle ... nudge outside the door.”
Example 2
(about a writing) ”It’s some form of Elvish. I can’t read it.” ”There are ... who can.” (not many people can read it as it’s almost forgotten)
Example 3
“You’re lucky to be here too. ... more hours and you would have been beyond our aid.”
Example 4
“If you're listening to a story of Mason's, understand that there's very ... reality in it.” (there isn’t much reality, his stories are mostly made-up)
Example 5
“It’s not perfect but it makes ... sense.” (it’s not ideal but I understand it because it makes some sense)
Example 6
“You were quick enough to trust the elves. Have you so ... faith in your own people?”
Example 7
"It's 9 am why is no one working?" "Amy is … minutes late, and we're all trying to guess why.”
Example 8
"For such … ingredients—I'm sorry if I got it all around my face—it tastes so fresh, so vibrant, so tropical. I feel energized already after that one mouthful.”
Exercise 4
Imagine that I’m at your home as a guest. Answer these questions truthfully. Use these sentences as an inspiration: - Sure, I have a few left. - Sure, I have a little left. - No, sorry. I have very few left. - No, sorry. I have very little left.
Questions
- Can I have some coffee?
- Can I have some biscuits?
- Can I have some water?
- Can I have some sugar?
- Can I have some chocolate?
- Can I borrow some flour?
- Can I borrow some cups?
- Can I borrow some juice?
- Can I borrow some spoons?
Exercise 5
What does this idiom mean?
- A person who speaks a lot.
- A person who doesn’t speak a lot.
Check the answer
Number 2 is correct. A person of few words is somebody who doesn’t speak much.