Confusing Words
Few, a Few, Little, a Little
“Few,” “a few,” “little,” and “a little” have similar meanings, but they are used differently.
In this lesson, you will learn how to use them correctly.
cottonbro studio | Pexels
A Few (Not Many) and A Little (Not Much)
”A few” means not many or a small number. Use it with things you can count (for example, a few coins, a few apples, a few minutes).
”A little” means not much or a small amount. Use it with uncountable things or mass nouns (for example, a little money, a little milk, a little time).
A Few of
You can use “a few” with “of” (for example, a few of my friends, a few of my books, a few of my relatives). This means “not all of them but a few of them.”
Few and Little
”Few” means not many or a small number. It often has a negative meaning because perhaps you do not have enough of something (for example, few friends, few people, few books). When something is negative, it becomes positive (for example, few mistakes).
”Little” means not much or a small amount. It often has a negative meaning because perhaps you do not have enough of something (for example, little money, little time, little interest).
Example sentences
A few
- Peter speaks French well, but he still makes a few mistakes.
- A few friends are coming to my party tomorrow.
- May I have a few more minutes to finish the exercise?
- Please work quickly. You have only a few minutes left.
Pixabay | Pexels
Few
- Peter’s French is excellent! He makes very few mistakes.
- I’m sad. Few of my friends are coming to my party tomorrow.
- Few people like very cold weather.
- My teacher isn’t very good. Few students like him.
- I don’t know what I’m going to write for homework. I have few ideas.
A Little
- I had a little coffee this morning.
- May I have a little more time to finish the exercise?
- I can give you a little more time to finish, but you must work quickly.
Little
- I have little interest in American football.
- There’s little milk left in the refrigerator. I need to buy more.
- I’m going to stop. There’s little that I can do in such little time I have.
Andrea Piacquadio | Pexels
Assess Your Learning
Practice 1. Fill in the blanks using few, a few, little, and a little.
Practice 2. Write sentences using few, a few, little, and a little.
You’re all done. Congratulations!
Thanks to our supporters!
This material has been made possible by supporters like you. Learn how you can support us.
Thank you for Supporting Snap Language
Snap Language supporters make the creation of these materials possible.
Learn how you can support our work, get perks, and help us continue creating high-quality materials.
You can support us by simply white-listing this site.
See ya! Woosh..... ─=≡Σ((( つ◕ل͜◕)つ