English grammar - Few and little

Resource centre - English grammar - Few and little

Form

(a) few + plural countable noun
(a) little + uncountable noun

Meaning

1. We use a few and a little to mean a small quantity or a small number.
   • I have a few friends (a small number)
   • I have a little money (a small amount)
2. We use few and little to mean "not enough", or to give the small quantity/number a negative meaning.
   • I have few friends. (a small number, and I wish I had more)
   • I have little money. (a small amount, and I wish I had more)
3. Few and little without "a" are quite formal. In spoken English it is more common to say only a few / little or not much / many.
   • Few people came to the meeting - more formal
   • Only a few people came to the meeting - less formal
   • Not many people came to the meeting - less formal
4. If we use a few or a little before a pronoun or determiner, we use of.
   • A few of them went to the cinema.
   • He only kept a little of his money with him.

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