What A Few and A Little Mean
A few and a little both mean a small number or amount that you have. The noun after them decides which one to use, just as with many and much.
A FEW + COUNTABLEa small number
I have a few questions about the homework.
You can count questions, so the word is a few.
A LITTLE + UNCOUNTABLEa small amount
There's a little milk in the fridge.
You cannot count milk, so the word is a little.
A few + a countable plural noun, a little + an uncountable noun.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Can I have bread, please?"
- Question 2
"There are shops near my house."
The four forms
A FEW
a fewcountable plural
a few eggs · a few people
A small number of things.
A LITTLE
a littleuncountable
a little water · a little help
A small amount.
FEW / LITTLE
few / littlenoun
few trees · little rain
No a: almost none, not enough.
QUITE A FEW
quite a fewcountable plural
quite a few mistakes
Quite a lot.
A few and a little go straight before the noun, with no of: a little sugar, a few eggs.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"We need chairs for the guests."
- Question 2
"Add lemon juice to the fish."
- Question 3
A lot of your classmates walk to school: " students in my class walk to school."
When to use them
Short periods of time
I went to Đà Lạt for a few days last month.
Minutes, days and weeks can be counted, so they take a few.
Signal words: a few minutes · a few weeks · a few years ago
Cooking
Add a little salt and stir.
Salt, oil and sauces are uncountable, so recipes often use a little.
Signal words: a little pepper · a little oil · a little fish sauce
Asking for or offering more
Can I have a little more rice?
Put more after a little or a few to ask for more or to offer more.
Signal words: a little more · a few more
A few vs. few
Without the a, the meaning changes: few and little mean almost none, not enough.
| WITH A | WITHOUT A | |
|---|---|---|
| Countable | He has a few friends in this city. | He has few friends in this city. |
| Meaning | he has some friends here | he has almost no friends here |
| Uncountable | We have a little time. | We have little time. |
| Meaning | there is still some time, so relax | there is almost no time, so hurry |
On their own, few and little sound a little formal. In everyday speech people often say not many and not much instead.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"The test was hard, and students passed. The teacher was sad."
- Question 2
"Don't worry, there's petrol in the car. We can get to the next town."
Common mistakes
Incorrect:I only have a few money with me.
Correct:I only have a little money with me.
Money is uncountable, so it takes a little. You can count coins, but not money.
Incorrect:My sister has a little friends at her new school.
Correct:My sister has a few friends at her new school.
Friends is countable, so it takes a few. A little is only for uncountable nouns.
Incorrect:I bought a few apple for my mother.
Correct:I bought a few apples for my mother.
After a few the noun is plural, so apple needs its -s.
Incorrect:Put a little of butter on the bread.
Correct:Put a little butter on the bread.
A little goes straight before the noun, with no of.
Incorrect:Can we talk? I have few things to tell you.
Correct:Can we talk? I have a few things to tell you.
You have some things to tell, so keep the a. Few without a means almost none.
Incorrect:There were quite few people at the wedding.
Correct:There were quite a few people at the wedding.
The fixed phrase for quite a lot is quite a few, and it always has the a.
Quick check · 6 questions
Choose the right word:
Lan bought a few oranges at the market.
- A. a few — Correct
- B. a little
- C. much
Answer: A. a few
You can count oranges, and the noun has its -s, so it takes a few. A little only goes before an uncountable noun.
Choose the right word:
Put a little oil in the pan first.
- A. a little — Correct
- B. a few
Answer: A. a little
You cannot count oil, so it takes a little. A few needs a plural noun, like eggs or onions.
Choose the correct phrase:
We waited for a few minutes at the bus stop.
- A. a few minutes — Correct
- B. a few minute
- C. a little minutes
Answer: A. a few minutes
Minutes can be counted, so the word is a few. The noun after it needs its -s.
You want to say the shop had almost no customers. Choose the right word:
Few customers came to the shop yesterday.
- A. Few — Correct
- B. A few
Answer: A. Few
A few customers means some customers came. Few customers means almost no customers came, and that is what you want to say.
Choose the right word:
There is little food in the fridge, so we can't cook dinner tonight.
- A. little — Correct
- B. a little
Answer: A. little
The second half says there is not enough food to cook with. Not enough is little, without the a.
You want to say a lot of tourists come here. Choose the right phrase:
Quite a few tourists come here in the summer.
- A. Quite a few — Correct
- B. Quite few
- C. A quite few
Answer: A. Quite a few
Quite a few is a fixed phrase that means quite a lot. It always has the a, and the a comes after quite.
See whether it really stuck.
Start the quiz · 12 questions
