skip navigation

Little / Few

Indicating insufficient quantity for count and noncount nouns

 

 

 

Little/Few vs. A Little/A few
LITTLE / FEW A LITTLE / A FEW

Use little or few when you are dissatisfied with the amount – it is insufficient. 

Use a little or a few when you are satisfied with the amount – it is sufficient.

DISSATISFIED

sadGlass half empty

I have little water.    (noncount noun)

Little water is left in my glass.  (I want more.)

I have few friends.  (count noun)

Few people ever call me.  (Poor me.)

 

SATISFIED

happyGlass half full

I have a little water.  (noncount noun)

A little water is all I need.

I have a few friends. (count noun)

A few friends are coming over!

insufficient (adj) – not enough; less than desired

 

 

Little vs. Few
LITTLE FEW

Use little with a noncount noun in a positive sentence to indicate a small insufficient quantity.

Use few with a plural count noun in a positive sentence to indicate a small insufficient number.

A POSITIVE SENTENCE

snacksLittle food is in the refrigerator.    (singular verb)

There is little food in the refrigerator.

 


 

A POSITIVE SENTENCE

snacksFew snacks are in the refrigerator.    (plural verb)

There are few snacks in the refrigerator.

 

A NEGATIVE SENTENCE / A QUESTION

* Little food isn't in the refrigerator.  (incorrect – a double negative)

*Is there little food in the refrigerator.  (Incorrect – use a little or any.)
 

A NEGATIVE SENTENCE / A QUESTION

*Few snacks aren't in the refrigerator.  (incorrect – a double negative)

*Are there few snacks in the refrigerator.  (Incorrect – use a few or some.)

*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.

 

 

 

 

A LITTLE A FEW

Use a little with a noncount noun – in a question, a positive, or a negative sentence – to indicate a small, sufficient quantity.

Use a few with a plural count noun – in a question, a positive, or a negative sentence – to indicate a small, sufficient quantity.

A POSITIVE SENTENCE

a little milkA little milk is in my glass.    (singular verb)

There is a little milk in my glass.

 

 

 

A POSITIVE SENTENCE

a few cookies on my plateA few cookies are on my plate.    (plural verb)

There are a few cookies on my plate.

 

 

A NEGATIVE SENTENCE / A QUESTION

a little is missingA little milk isn't in my glass. (Somebody drank some.) 

Is a little milk missing? 

 

 

 

A NEGATIVE SENTENCE / A QUESTION

a few cookies missingA few cookies are not on my plate.  (Somebody ate them.)

Are a few cookies missing? 

 

 

 

 

Little / Few

Sufficient vs. Insufficient

 

 

A Few vs. Few
FEW – INSUFFICIENT A FEW – SUFFICIENT

Use few to mean "not many, not enough" (insufficient).

Use a few to mean "not many but enough" (sufficient).

Few people are able to give to food programs this year.  (not many)

The Bank received few donations.  

Fortunately, few families will without a holiday meal.   


 

helpersA few people will help collect food for the Food Bank. (enough)

The Food Bank received a few very large checks.  

Unfortunately, a few families will go without a holiday meal.  

a food bank – a program in several community that collects food from grocery stores, restaurants and neighbors and gives it to people who need food. 

 

 

 

Little vs. A Little
LITTLE– INSUFFICIENT A LITTLE – SUFFICIENT

Use little to mean "not much, not enough".  The speaker is unhappy about it.

Use a little to mean "not much but enough".   The speaker is OK with it.

Little help is being received this year. (not much)

The usual donors are able to give little food.  

People will have to get by with little assistance. 


 

foodA little help will come from corporate donations.  

Restaurants and grocery stores will give a little food.  

People will have to get by with a little assistance.   (enough)

get by (expression) – have less; have barely enough; survive

 

 

 

 

airline seatsPractice 1

Air Travel

 

 

 

Decide whether the sentence needs the quantifier little / a little or few / a few.

You will need to know if the noun is count or noncount. Noncount/Count

  1. Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence. 
  2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right. 

 

# YOUR RESPONSE CHECK ANSWER
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
   

 

 

 

 

 

guy in a hammockPractice 2

"My Glass is Half Full"

my glass is half full (expression) – describes a person who sees the good side of life, an optimist. 

 

 

  1. Select (put a check in the box) the noun if it can complete the sentence:  I have little ____.
  2.  An asterisk * indicates an incorrect response.

 

# FEEDBACK YOUR RESPONSE
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
   

 

 

 

 

friesPractice 3

A Few

 

 

  1. Select (put a check in the box) the noun if it can complete the sentence:  I have few ____.
  2.  An asterisk * indicates an incorrect response.
# FEEDBACK YOUR RESPONSE
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
   

* Cheese or lettuce may be countable if referring to different types or varieties. See Plural Varieties.