A Few and A Little Exercises

A few and a little both mean "some, but not a lot" — a small but positive quantity. A few goes with countable plural nouns: "I have a few questions" (some questions — that's fine). A little goes with uncountable nouns: "We have a little time" (some time — enough). The article a before "few" and "little" is what gives these words their positive meaning — it signals that the small amount is enough or acceptable.

Without a, the meaning changes completely. Few (no article) means "not many — not enough": "I have few friends" (sadly, not enough). Little (no article) means "not much — not enough": "We have little time" (unfortunately, not enough). This positive-negative contrast between "a few/a little" and "few/little" is one of the most tested quantifier points in English exams. The difference is entirely in the speaker's attitude: "a few" sounds content, while "few" sounds disappointed. Cambridge B1 Preliminary reading tasks frequently test this distinction through context clues.