Look at these examples to see how these quantifiers are used with countable and uncountable nouns.
I have a few friends, so I'm not lonely.
She has few friends, so she's quite lonely.
We've got a bit of time before our train. Shall we get a coffee?
We've got very little time before our train. Hurry up!
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
A few and a bit of or a little mean some. Often we feel this amount is enough or more than we expected. We use a few with plural nouns and a bit of or a little with uncountable nouns.
I have a few ideas.
I've brought a few friends.
There's a bit of milk left.
It needs a little more work.
We use few and very little to show that we are talking about a small amount. Often we feel this amount is not enough or less than we expected. Few is for countable nouns and very little is for uncountable nouns.
Few people came to the meeting.
There are few places where you can still see these birds.
We have very little time.
I have very little money.
Note that you can use little without very, but it is less common and sounds quite formal.
She had little water.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
I would like to appreciate to every one who contributed on this topic. I have leant a lot
Dear The LearnEnglish Team,
May I know the difference of "a few" and "some".
Thank you.
Hello Long Khanh,
In terms of grammar, 'a lot of' can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns, while 'a few' can only be used with countable; 'a little' is the equivalent for uncountable nouns.
In terms of meaning, I think they are very close and any differences would be context dependent. 'A few' usually suggests that the amount is satisfactory or sufficient for some purpose. For example, if I said 'I have a few hours free today' it would imply that I can do something (go for a coffee with you, finish a task etc). 'Some' is a little more neutral, I would suggest. However, as I said, these are context-dependent nuances.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you for your prompt reply. Is it true that “a few” generally indicates a number or a figure of five or less. On the other hand, “some” indicates a larger quantity that ranges between five and ten?
Hello again Long Khanh,
I don't think there is any fixed rule about this. The choice of quantifiers like this is really a question of how the speaker sees the situation rather than a particular number of items. For example, both 'some' and 'a few' could be used in this kind of situation:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
I agree with Peter that there is no specific number range within which these quantifiers may be used, though generally "some" is used for a bigger quantity than "a few". Hope this helps.
Hi
Why in this sentence a few is correct?no few
The doctors told me to rest for a few days
Thsnks
Hi marjikjikjik,
"A few" and "few" have different meanings. "A few" has a generally positive meaning, and "few" has a generally negative meaning. For example:
In the example you mentioned, it should be "a few days" because the meaning is "some days" or "enough days".
I hope that helps to understand it.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Sir , what few means . Exactly 1,2,3,4. And a few means 5,6,7 number
Hi amlan1234,
"Few" means a small number. It's often understood to mean 2 or 3. But it depends on the situation. For example, if I say There were a few people in the square, it may mean that the square was a little bit full of people (e.g. 10 or 20 people), or if I say I have a few coins in my pocket, it could mean four or five coins. The point is that "few" means a small number, relative to the situation. It does not refer to an exact number.
As explained above, "few" has a negative meaning and "a few" has a positive meaning. It's a bit like describing a glass of water as half empty (negative meaning) or half full (positive meaning) - the quantity of water is the same, but the point of view is different. For example:
I hope that helps to clarify the meaning.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team