3/02/2011

A Few Little Fish

We use few and little to represent a small, unknown quantity. 


We use few with plural nouns and little with uncountable nouns:
few coins, few minutes, few bananas
little money, little time, little fruit


We tend to add a to little or few to say some.
There are a few letters on the table.
I have a little time before work.
And a little and a few can be used alone as pronouns.
I have a few... There is a little.


BEWARE
If you use little with singular or plural nouns, its meaning is small.
a little coin = a small coin... little coins = small coins
a little fish = a small fish... little fish = small fish

To add emphasis, use too or very + few or little.
Too few people know the truth. 
Very few people know the truth.
Too many things to do and too little time to do it.
There is very little gas left in the world.

Both few and little have a comparative and superlative form.
few, fewer, the fewest... little, less, the least
There were fewer sales than we expected.
That team has the fewest points in the league.
There is less space available than last time.
That is the least popular brand they have manufactured.

We can also add more after a few or a little to make comparisons
I brought a few more people with me to the party.
I couldn't help myself and I bought a little more clothes.

So, do you understand a little more than before?!

2 comments:

kety said...

Thanks, I understand them better and better. But I don't understand the last sentence, who can buy people?

Adam Yerman said...

Oops! I meant to write "bRought" instead of "bought"! Thanks for bringing that to my attention!