These two little words are sometimes very tricky - causing a lot of problems and a little frustration!When do you use 'a few'? Answer: with countable nouns:
We have a few problems.
I'm taking a few days off.
Only a few people turned up for the party.
These are a few of my favourite things.
When do you use 'a little'? Answer: with uncountable nouns:
I have a little sugar left. Give the plants a little water. A little kindness goes a long way.
For more on countable and uncountable nouns, see my earlier post here:http://ictyenglish.blogspot.com/2005/11/uncountable-nouns.html
Both 'few' and 'little' can be used with or without articles. Can you sense the difference between these two sentences?
Few people knew about the party.
A few people knew about the party.
Although both sentences involve a small number of people, the first one is more of a negative impression. 'Few people knew about the party' = because it was not very well advertised, or nobody got the invitations etc. It's a negative 'few'. 'Few' can also be used to emphasise that the number involved is very small.
The second sentence gives a more positive impression. 'A few people knew about the party' = a small number of people were invited, or it was a low-key party, etc. It's a positive 'few'. 'A few' can also be used to refer to a large number, especially with 'quite': Quite a few people work on Sundays.
Note: if you use 'only' then 'few' always has an article, even if the impression is negative: Only a few people turned up for the party.
Compare these sentences. Decide if a negative or positive 'few' is used:
1. Little hope remains for the people who lost their homes.
2. A little bit of sugar is necessary in any diet.
3. Few passengers found the holiday enjoyable.
4. I'm selling a few items on ebay at the moment.
5. Only a few days remain until my birthday.
For more see http://www.better-english.com/grammar/few.htm
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