a little = some but not much
- She didn't eat anything, but she drank a little water.
- I speak a little Spanish. (= some Spanish but not much)
- A: Can you speak Spanish?
B: A little.
a few = some but not many
- Excuse me, I have to make a few phone calls.
- We're going away for a few days.
- I speak a few words of Spanish.
- A: Are there any shops near here?
B: Yes, a few.
A little (without a) = nearly no or nearly nothing:
- There was little food in the fridge. It was nearly empty.
You can say very little:
- Dan is very thin because he eats very little. (= nearly nothing).
A few (without a) = nearly no:
- There were few people in the theater. It was nearly empty.
You can say very few:
- Your English is very good. You make very few mistakes.
Compare little and a little:
- They have a little money, so they're not poor. (= they have some money).
- They have little money. They are very poor. (= nearly no money).
Compare few and a few:
- I have a few friends, so I'm not lonely. (= I have some friends).
- I'm sad and I'm lonely. I have few friends. (= nearly no friends).
Answer the questions with a little or a few.
1. Do you have any money? Yes, a little.
2. Do you have any envelopes? Yes, a few.
3. Do you want sugar in your coffee? Yes, a little please.
4. Did you take any photos when you were on holiday? Yes, a few.
5. Does your friend speak English? Yes, a little.
6. Are there any good restaurants in this town? Yes, a few.
Make sentences use a little or a few + these words:
1. Mark speaks Italian well. He lived in Italy for a few years.
2. Can I have a little milk in my coffee, please?
3. When did Amy go away? A few days ago.
4. Do you speak any foreign languages? I can speak a little Russian.
5. Are you going out alone? No, I'm going with a few friends.
6. Have you ever been to Mexico? Yes, a few times.
7. There wasn't much furniture in the room - just a table and a few chairs.
8. I'm going out for a walk. I need a little fresh air.
Make the sentences. Use very little or very few + these words:
1. Your English is very good. You make very few mistakes.
2. I drink very little coffee. I prefer tea.
3. The weather here is very dry in summer. There is very little rain.
4. It's difficult to find a place to stay in this town. There are very few hotels.
5. Hurry up. We have very little time.
6. The town is very quiet at night. Very few people go out.
7. Some people in the office are very lazy. They do very little work.
Make sentences use little / a little or few / a few:
1. There was little food in the fridge. It was nearly empty.
2. When did Sarah go out? A few minutes ago.
3. I can't decide now. I need a little time to think about it.
4. There was little traffic, so we arrived earlier than we expected.
5. The bus service isn't very good at night - there are few buses after 9 o'clock.
6. Would you like some soup? Yes, a little, please.
7. I'd like to practise my English more, but I have little opportunity.
Right or wrong? Change the sentences where necessary. Write OK if the sentence is correct:
1. We're going away for few days next week. For a few days.
2. Everybody needs little luck. a little luck.
3. I can't talk to you now - I have few things to do. a few things.
4. I eat very little meat - I don't like it very much. OK.
5. Excuse me, can I ask you few questions? a few questions.
6. There were little people on the bus - it was nearly empty. few people.
7. Mark is a very private person. Few people know him well. OK.
