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This question is Not Answered. Latest post 1 yr 290 days ago by Grammar Geek. 11 replies.
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Pradeep_tp  [More info]

 Hello,

I would like to know the difference between saying "few" and "a few". Similarly "little" and "a little".  In what context do these two separate expressions are used?

thanks

pradeep

Joined on Tue, Sep 27 2005
New Member 06
+1 Mister Micawber  [More info]

Few and little mean not many/much-- they are negative in connotation.  I am sad because I have few friends.

A few and a little mean some-- they are positive in connotation.  I just moved here, but I am happy because I have a few friends.

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004
Yokohama
Veteran Member 36,916
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

British and American accents

Submitted by hitchhiker v7 by Pradeep_tp 189 days ago
Lesson Eight: American and British Accents Are Different There are quite a few different accents in English, and a problem is being able to tell them apart, and knowing which one you should sound like. The previous examples have all been in the American accent...
+1 Klavier  [More info]
What meaning does few convey when used with 'negative' nouns compared to a few?

I went to the denstist and he found few cavities.
I went to the denstist and he found a few cavities.
Joined on Thu, Sep 23 2004
Chile
Full Member 357
+1 Mister Micawber  [More info]

I went to the dentist and he found few cavities. Few = not many.  My teeth are in relatively good condition.
I went to the dentist and he found a few cavities.  A few = several.  My teeth are in somewhat poor condition.

+1 Polite  [More info]

Hi,

Additionaly, some notes on this subject. There is a important knowledge about quantifies, affirmative and negative statements, and question.


A Few

A few is used with countable nouns to show a small quantity. It is used in affirmative statements, but not negatives. We generally use any or questions. For example:
- I have a few books.
- I don't have a few books===> This is incorrect.
- I don't have any books====> This is incorrect.
- Do you have a few books? ====> This is correct.
Sometimes this is possibe, but generally speaking we use any for questions, for example "Do you have any books?"


A Little

A little is used with uncountable nouns to show a small quantity. Again, it is generally used in affirmative statements, not negatives or questions. For example:
- I have a little orange juice.
Negatives and Questions use "any" as usual.
- I don't have a little orange juice. ===> This is incorrect.
- I don't have any orange juice.===> This is incorrect
- Do you have a little orange juice?===> This is incorrect.
- Do you have any orange juice?===> This is correct.


Regards.
Polite

Joined on Wed, May 10 2006
Colombia
New Member 10

a few means :- small number . used for countable things such as boys,people.

                           e.g: There were only a few students in the class.

Few means :- no   e.g  There were few students in the class so the class could not start 

a little:- used with uncountable things such as sugar.

                                 e.g. there was a little sugar available in the house.so i could prepare only one cup of coffee.

little: no , e.g. there was little sugar in the house. so i could not prepare coffee.

Mukesh Yadav

 
 Few- some

a few - some but not enough

e.g.

I have a few apples.

I have a few apples but not enought to feed the horse. 

 
+1 Cool Breeze  [More info]
Polite

- I don't have any books=

> This is incorrect.
- I don't have any orange juice.

> This is incorrect

 

Both sentences are fine.

To the original poster: Depending on your native language, it may help you understand and use little and few correctly if you bear in mind that you can nearly always place very before them without changing the meaning:

He has [very] few friends. He has [very] little money.

Very is incorrect before a few and a little.

CB 

Joined on Fri, Apr 7 2006
Finland
Senior Member 4,824
"Translators, traitors." - Italian proverb
'Few' means none, and 'a few' means one or more than one.
same applies to the usage of the word 'little'.

Eg.

'I have little idea about what is going on.' This technically means 'I have NO idea'.
instead if the sentence is
'I have a little idea about what is going on' would mean 'I have SOME idea about what is going on'.

Hope this clear the doubt once and for all.
 
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