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Small quantities: little - a little - few - a few - English lesson

I) LITTLE is placed before an uncountable noun in the singular: = LITTLE: is a little/ too little, insufficient quantity. 

- The beggar had little money and couldn't afford to buy food. 

II) FEW is placed before a countable noun in the plural.  (represents a little/ too little number of objects or people.)

- As he has only few friends, he can't hope to receive any help...

III) HARDLY any = little or few - depending on the following nouns.  (The verb is in the affirmative form) 
- There's hardly any petrol left. We'll have to stop to fill up the tank. 

IV) A LITTLE + uncountable noun in the singular; it represents a LITTLE QUANTITY of...  
- I like a little milk with my tea, whereas Pam has it with lemon.

V) A FEW + countable in the plural: a small number or amount. like for SEVERAL, the verb after it is in the plural. 

- Several students had come, but a few of them were missing. 

 
           

VI) "COMPARISONS":

* LESS... (THAN)+ uncountable in the singular. (LESS is the comparative form of LITTLE)
- I have less water than he has... You should ask him to give you some. 

* FEWER (THAN)+ countable noun in the plural (FEWER is the comparative form of FEW)
- There were fewer people than usual listening to the politician's speech. 

* SUCH A LITTLE QUANTITY,  a VERY SMALL QUANTITY: 
- so little // so few...

* AN INSUFFICIENT QUANTITY, or NUMBER of...: 
- Too little.../ too few... 
                                      

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1. 'This cake is already very sweet... no need to add more littlea littlefewera fewlittleI don't know sugar on top!'

2. 'He’s so busy at the moment that he has littlefewfewera fewa littleI don't know time to read. That’s a pity!'

3. Because of the heavy rain, more littlefewerless fewlittlefewI don't know people attended the open-air gathering.

4. LittleMore littleMore fewerFewMore fewI don't know people can read or speak Latin and Ancient Greek nowadays.

5. There are fewlittlerfewerlittleI don't know boys than girls in this class, but they are so restless that nobody can work harmoniously.

This manager has very fewlittlefewerlittle soI don't know time to close the deal and so littlemore fewerso fewlittleI don't know employees to help him that he has to cancel the holiday he had planned.

7. 'Oh dear! I’ve put so fewerso fewtoo littlemore littleI don't know chocolate when making the cake... It’s quite tasteless. I’m so disappointed.'

8. ' A littleFewLittle fewLittleI don't know students were really listening to what the teacher was announcing, and then, of course, in the end, they asked dozens of questions.'

9. 'I’d like fewerfewa littlea fewlittleI don't know silence, please.I can’t work in such a noise.'