A few and A little

We can use few/a few and little/a little to express quantity.

Few/A few

Few and a few are used with countable nouns.

fewa very small number, not enough
a fewa small number, some, enough

Example:

There are few apples left. I can’t make a pie.

There are a few apples in the fridge. I can make a pie.

Little/A little

Little and a little are used with uncountable nouns.

littlea very small quantity, not enough
a littlea small quantity, some, enough

Example:

There is little flour. I can’t make a cake.

There is a little flour. I can make a cake.

Quiz

1. I have _______ friends here and I don’t feel lonely.

 
 
 

2. I can’t buy this dress now. I have ______ money.

 
 
 

3. We need ______ bananas for the dessert.

 
 
 

4. There are _______ oranges left. Can you buy some?

 
 
 

5. There is ______ cheese. Shall I make you a sandwich?

 
 
 

6. There are ______ chairs in the room. They won’t be enough for all the guests.

 
 
 

7. She wants ______ olives on her pizza.

 
 
 

8. I would like ______ milk in my coffee.

 
 
 

9. There are _____ books on the desk.

 
 
 

10. There is ______ sugar in the cupboard. Sorry, I can’t make a cake.