Few, a few, little, a little

  • B1 · Intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min
  • few and a few

a few and a little for some, enough (a few regulars, a little help), and few and little for not many, not much (Few people buy books here now). From the owner of a small-town bookstore to the good news and the bad news of your own week.

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What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Listen: the last bookstore in townListening comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find a few and littleGrammar exercise
  6. 6few, a few, little, a littleGrammar rule
  7. 7few, a few, little or a little?Grammar exercise
  8. 8Good news or bad news?Grammar exercise
  9. 9Say it another wayGrammar exercise
  10. 10Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  11. 11Good news, bad newsSpeaking practice
  12. 12About youGrammar exercise
  13. 13Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: a few or a little?Grammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: a hotel reviewGrammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: good news or bad news?Grammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: a reviewDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Is there a bookstore near your home? When did you last go there?
  2. Do you prefer paper books or e-books? Why?
  3. When you need a gift for someone, where do you look first?

Grammar rule

few, a few, little, a little

with plural nouns (stamps, trains)with uncountable nouns (space, luck)Meaning
a few / a littlea few stampsa little lucksome: not a lot, but enough (a positive idea)
few / littlefew stampslittle lucknot many / not much: less than we want or need (a negative idea)

In everyday English

  • few and little alone can sound formal. In conversation, people often say very few / very little, or not many / not much: Very few stores here open on Sundays. There isn't much space in the trunk.
  • only a few / only a little = a small number or amount, less than we want: We sold only a few tickets.
  • a few and a little can stand alone: "Do you have any stamps?" "A few." · I know a little about gardening.
Watch out: a few + a plural noun (a few days, not a few day), and a little + an uncountable noun (a little luck, not a little seats). Don't mix up the meanings: Few people came, so the party was great sounds strange. When little comes before a countable noun (a little store), it means small: that is an adjective, not an amount.

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