Few / A Few / Little / A Little
Категорія: Граматика
Дата: 13.12.2023
FEW - not enough for the nouns that we can count (cows, tables, books, etc.)
LITTLE - not enough for the nouns that we canNOT count (Uncountable nouns are nouns which cannot
be counted and they usually have no plural.
These nouns include:
food: cheese, butter, meat, salt, pepper, bacon,
bread, chocolate, honey, jam, etc.
liquids: coffee, milk, water, tea, wine, lemonade,
petrol, oil, etc.
materials: gold, iron, silver, wood, paper, etc.
abstract nouns: beauty, love, happiness, etc.
others: hair, money, news, snow, fumiture,
weather, advice, etc.)
Few / Little conveys the idea of an insufficient quantity of something and carries a negative connotation.
Few is employed with countable nouns in the plural form,
while Little is utilized with uncountable nouns.
For instance:
I can't assist you; I have little proficiency in English.
To emphasize the shortage, we often add "very": I speak very little English.
This individual has few close friends.
There's a shortage of milk in the fridge; I must head to the supermarket for replenishment.
The subway was sparsely populated; there were very few people.
A Few / A Little, in contrast, carry a positive tone and serve as synonyms for "some," signifying "a small but sufficient amount of something." A few pairs with countable nouns in the plural form, while A little aligns with uncountable nouns.
Consider these examples:
I possess a little proficiency in English.
This gentleman has a few reliable friends.
He acquired a few notepads and pens.
She consumed a little coffee before departing.
Comparative and superlative forms of Few / A Few / Little / A Little follow this pattern:
Few – fewer – the fewest
A few – more – the most
Little – less – the least
A little – more – the most
Few – fewer – the fewest:
1. A few friends came over yesterday, but today came fewer.
(Вчора прийшло декіька друзів, але сьогодні менше прийшло.)
2. The store had few apples, and today there are the fewest.
(В магазині було мало яблук, і сьогодні їх найменше.)
3. He got the fewest votes in the election.
(Вибори: він отримав найменшу кількість голосів.)
A few – more – the most:
1. I have a few books and want to get more.
(У мене є кілька книг, але я хочу більше.)
2. After planting a few seeds, more flowers bloomed.
(Після посадження кількох насінин виріс більше квітів.)
3. Among the team, she contributed the most.
(Серед команди вона внесла найбільший внесок.)
Little – less – the least:
1. She had little time, and now has even less.
(У неї було мало часу, а тепер у неї ще менше.)
2. There's little sugar left, and I need to buy the least amount.
(Залишилося мало цукру, і мені потрібно купити найменшу кількість.)
3. He has little experience in public speaking, feeling the least confident.
(У нього мало досвіду в публічних виступах, і він відчуває себе менш впевненим.)
A little – more – the most:
1. I know a little French but want to learn more.
(Я знаю трошки французької, але хочу дізнатися більше.)
2. Add a little spice; you can always put more later.
(Додайте трошки спецій; завжди можна додати ще.)
3. Despite challenges, she showed a little perseverance and achieved the most success.
(Незважаючи на труднощі, вона показала трошки наполегливості і досягла найбільших успіхів.)
By paying attention to these subtleties, you can articulate your thoughts precisely while evading issues related to plagiarism and copyright concerns.