Quantifiers: A few, A little - Common Core
A Few (for Countable Nouns)
We use a few with countable nouns (things you can count, like apples, books, friends). It means "a small number" or "some".
- "I have
a fewapples." (Maybe 3 or 4) - "She needs
a fewminutes." - "He has
a fewfriends in this city."
A Little (for Uncountable Nouns)
We use a little with uncountable nouns (things you can't count, like water, time, money). It means "a small amount" or "some".
- "I have
a littlewater." (A small amount in my bottle) - "He needs
a littlehelp." - "Can I have
a littlesugar?"
Important Note!
Be careful! A few and A little have a positive meaning ("I have some").
Without "a", the words few and little have a negative meaning ("almost none").
- "I have
a fewfriends." (Positive 😊) - "I have
fewfriends." (Negative, I am lonely 😥)
Comparison
Look at the difference in meaning.
| Meaning | Countable (e.g., Coins) | Uncountable (e.g., Money) |
|---|---|---|
| "Some" (Positive) | a few coins |
a little money |
| "Almost none" (Negative) | few coins |
little money |
Sentence Examples
| Countable Examples | |
|---|---|
| A Few: | "There are a few people at the party." (Some people) |
| Few: | "There are few people at the party." (Almost nobody) |
| Uncountable Examples | |
| A Little: | "We have a little time." (We can talk) |
| Little: | "We have little time." (We must hurry!) |
Test Your Knowledge!
Choose the best answer for each sentence.
