When to use "a little" and "a few" | English grammar rules
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this lesson, I explain the English grammar rules for when to use "a few" and "a little".
"a few" and "a little" are determiners and they both mean a small quantity of something.
We use "a few" only with countable nouns like "lemon" - Example: "There are a few lemons."
We use "a little" only with uncountable nouns like "milk" - Example: "There is a little water."
At the end of this English grammar rule lesson, there is an exercise to test your understanding.
For more information about the differences between countable and uncountable nouns, see this lesson: • Countable and uncounta...
The accent is a British English accent.
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Andrew,
Crown Academy of English
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Crown Academy of English
I'm going to buy a hat
Crown Academy of English ignxmmx
use little and few
there are are a few eggs
Love it!! SUPERB‼️
Than you so much for this amazing lesson. Your explanations are always so clear that even the most complicated stuff becomes easy to understand.
Thank you very much for this class - It was very important for my learning.
Thank you! Now I will continue watching your videos to learn more!
Thank you Mr. Andrew!
Thanks a lot Andrew .
A'm regularly watching this channel. Thanks a lot for excellent explanation 👍 🥰
Thank you Mr Andrew ,excellent
your a good teacher andrew, I learned a lot
I thank you for all your kind answers, I'll see you soon
Thank you teacher, the class was great
Thank you Andrew for you correct me!!
Congrats on your work.
Thank you your class was very important for me
thank u so much your explaination is awesome........
shler jumaa Thank you very much for your comment. I am very pleased that my lessons are helping you.
Small correction for you: explaination -> *explanation*
Best wishes,
Andrew
No words for your explanation sir.... 😊 Outstanding....
Andrew, congratulations for your accent and thank you for these videos.
Alfredo Re Dionigi It's my pleasure and thank you very much for your comment.
Andrew
Muchas gracias !
Great! I like to work with your videos. They're so good! Thanks
Great...so clear the explanation...👌
Thank you very very much ❤️
Thank you! this video it´s really useful for me
Thanks for your lesson that was good
Thanks God por this class , i needed a lot, because to day it's my exam for pass to intermedio level, blessings for you teacher.
thank you so much your channel is really amazing.
Hi Andrew :)
Thank you for this exercise.
Your videos are so useful for us .
In my cupboard thete are:
1) a few potatoes and apples
2) there is a little bread and a little coffe
3) there are a few beans and a few tomatoes
4)There is a little tea
I like to have a little tea in the morning with a few biscuits and a little chocolate. :)
Silvia Kerkelova Hi Silvia, thanks for your message. :)
All of your answers are correct. Well done, you have learned a lot from this lesson!
A very minor spelling mistake: "coffe" --> "coffee" but everything else is perfect.
Keep up the good work.
Best wishes, Andrew
Thank you so much Andrew all your lesson are prefect, it’s so help me to understand everything.
1. There are a few apples.
2.There is a little salt.
3. There are a few onions.
4. There is a little spaghetti.
Perfect, thank you so much 👌👌💖💖💖
Thank you!
Great grammar tip.
Thanks for the help
Hello, I really love your classes, but id like to know if is it possible you make a list if english vocabulary (Bigginner to Advanced), please
Thank you. Hvala. I am from Serbia.
Thanks for your help♥
now i understand! thanks for this video. i am learning english.
now i understand! thanks for this video.
You are good teacher
Obrigado professor
Thank you so much
Thank you dear Teacher keep it up
Thanks for the video it really helped😘😘
شكرا جزيلا لقد استفدت ❤️
+بيلو بركش You're welcome. Thank you for the comment.
Best wishes,
Andrew
thank you so much 😊
thanks you teacher!
Thank u so much!
I am very Glad you.. mind blowing teacher..india
thanks! now i understand!
Tks for your teaching. It's extrmely useful for English beginner as me. Hope, you could provide extra quality video like that!
My answers,
There is a little sauce
There is a little pepper
There are a few garlics
There are a few onions
Thank you sir
thanks a lot!
you are good teacher!
mohammad isvandi It's a pleasure. Thank you for the comment.
Best wishes,
Andrew
Thank you
muchas grasias exelente video muy buena explicacion
+Maria Arana You're welcome. Thank you for the comment.
Best wishes,
Andrew
Thanks teacher Andrew for your video.
cheers.
+Patrik Costa Gobbi Excellent, I am glad that you like my lessons. Thanks for the comment.
Best wishes,
Andrew
+Crown Academy of English
In my cupboard, there are a few cups and there is a little dust on them so I only need a little time to clean a few things with a few good brushes.
hadeel hammama Very good. Your sentences are correct.
teşekkürler . thank you
thank you .
Hello Andrew)
Could you explain a difference in using between "some" and "few" , please.
Thanks before)
Hi master Andreuw, thanks for your loyalty to teaching people.
I would try the exercise.
1. Ther are a few onions.
2. Ther is a little pepper.
3. Ther are a few chilis.
4. Ther is a little clove.
Mazdi Elzan Bejo Hello, thanks for your answers! All of your answers are correct so well done. There is just a small spelling mistake: The correct spelling is THERE.
Best wishes
Andrew
oh.. Ok i'm so sorry.. Thank you fery much Sir. May God bless you.
Good morning professor, I thoroughly enjoyed all your lessons so far. Here are my answers: - There are a few avocados;- There is a little water;- There is a little baking powder; and- There are a few orangesI am very excited to hear my score and thank you for your help in teaching good grammar. When I am a little more confident, I will sign up for a test. I would like to have even a certificate in good grammar and to speak fluently and confidently.
thank you teacher !🙂
You're welcome. Thank you for the comment. 👍
Best wishes,
Andrew
today is my english exam and I really need to learn about where to use a few and a little so thank u for making this video
Hi sir...i likes yr teaching method.
There are a few cakes.
There is a little milk.
There are a few tomatoes.
There is a little cereal.
Thanks for the lesson.
Really useful for us.
thank you very much you are amazing
roz alhamadeen Thanks for your kind words.
Andrew
thanks alot sir
thanks. I'm very happy.
Ashraf Nasar It's a pleasure. Thank you for the comment.
Best wishes,
Andrew
good man what i would like to ask about is are there some cases that we can use the countable nouns or rules in the place of uncountable because, you mentioned in your talk once you gave examble about the wine you said wine often comes unconutable and thanks
i hope you would answer
I was a little confused about this before but now it was all clear. Thank you for this video. It was additionally added to my learning. ^.^ I learned also about "too many" - for countable nouns and "too much" - for uncountable nouns. :)
+_alfonage_ abuque_ It's a pleasure. I'm delighted that your English is improving with my lessons. Thank you for the comment.
Best wishes,
Andrew
very useful information Andrew to define the usage of a Little with uncountable nouns and a few with countable nouns. there is a litlle bread in my cupboard
Jose antonio coria castrejon Thanks for your comment. "there is a litlle bread in my cupboard" - Yes, very good because bread is uncountable.
Best wishes
Andrew
Sempre que a sentença afirmativa começar com os verbos Can ou Could, deverei usar some?
Hi Andrew and everyone !!
In My cupboard are a few biscuits.
Also there is a little honey.
Also there are a few napkin.
And finaly also there is a little salt.
I hope I didn't make any mistakes here.
I'm very glad to watch this channel !!
Good bye !!
inflartedearte Very good. You only made 2 very small mistakes:
"Also there are a few napkin." --> "Also there are a few napkins." (the countable noun must be in the plural form)
"finaly" --> "finally"
Well done!
Andrew
thank you.......
thanks you anderstand very well
+Efe Otlak Thank you very much for your comment. I am very pleased that my lessons are helping you.
Best wishes,
Andrew
thanks 😊😊😊😊
Very good sir
There is a little olive oil.
There ir a little salt.
There ir a little water.
There are a few bananas.
There are a few tomatoes.
There are a few potatoes.
I hope I understood your explanation. Thaks very much for your help.
Thanks a lot of
Here is an example on a little: There is a little milk.
and here is an example on a few: There are a few cups.
Thanks for your efforts.
thank very much
jin no You're welcome. I'm pleased you liked it.
Andrew
Hi Andrew, I have a question suppose we have 3 or 4 apples on the table as we can see it's countable and it's obvious. Why can't we use some instead of "a" because as I know a always make something singular like what if we say just few and not add "a"
Ex. A pencil, means one pencil in this case it is little different to me.
Very good
Thank you my teacher I enjoy your lesson I really like your teaching
warsame galaal Excellent, I am glad that you like my lessons. Thanks for the comment.
Best wishes,
Andrew
good teacher
thanks！
Sir screen english show like that
One vedio each othe one anothe difference
Sir plzzz ??????
Thanks.....................................
There's a little milk in the carton.
There's a few tomatoes in the vegetable bin.
Good luck, Andrew...! You rock...!
Thank you sri. this video is great. so how can i imprual my spoken skill.i love to english.
malaka Bandara Hello and thanks for your comment. I give some general advice for improving spoken English here: How to improve your English speaking skills
Best wishes
Andrew
Lol! After lessons with USA native speakers, British pronunciation is quite weird) I`ve remembered the school when we were taught exactly the same pronunciation) Awesome lesson that refreshing my memory)
how about "Drive and Ride" have special uses or rule Andrew? Thanks.
Mazdi Elzan Bejo We use "drive" for vehicles (cars, lorries, vans) and we use "ride" for bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and horses :)
Andrew
Thank you your class was very important for me, i m brazilian and my Dreams, is speak english, and you are help me
Lais Arruda Arruda Thank you very much for your comment. I am very pleased that my lessons are helping you.
Best wishes,
Andrew
Can we use " a few" and "a little" in questions and negative sentences?
Good evening Andrew !
I have a few answers:
There is a little coffee,there is a little tea, there is a little honey,there is a little marmalade,there are a few biscuits and there is a little cake.
Christie B. Good morning Christie, how are you today? All of your answers are correct, very good. Now I'm feeling hungry!
Andrew
Hello Sir,Thanks lots of !! I am regularly watching your videos. this is only my way to learn English grammar I am geeing stuck order of determiner to be placed in the sentence. sharing few examples. 1.Four- times the cost; Determiner four -times and the ,there is no Of between them. 2.Three- quarter Of the participants ; Determiner Three- quarter and The ,Of placed between them 3.Some Of the girls /some Of my friends ; Determiner Some , the and my : Of is placed between them. 4.Some more juice ;some and more quantifiers Which are same level quantifiers but there is no words (may be Of etc..)placed between them.
I want to understand what is the rule to put multiple determiners (pre, central and post determiners) before to noun.
1. There is a little oat meal
2. there are few bananas
3. There is a little juice
4. There are a few mango
These all my answers.
Thank you very very much Sir I learn a lot from you...
There are a few mangoes ..
Hi Andrew. Below is my task for Q4:
- There is a little sugar in my cupboard.
- There are a few vinegar bottles in my cupboard.
- There is a little dried vegetable in my cupboard.
- There is a little saffron in my cupboard.
Kind Regards
Pedram
Pedram Samieyan
Hello and thanks for your answers. Here are some comments and small corrections:
- There is a little sugar in my cupboard. --> correct
- There are a few vinegar bottles in my cupboard. --> correct
- There is a little dried vegetable in my cupboard. --> There *are a few* dried *vegetables* in my cupboard. (vegetable is countable)
- There is a little saffron in my cupboard. --> correct
Well done, you have learned a lot from this lesson.
Best wishes,
Andrew
Hey I live your lesson👍 why do used " a little " for bread ?
Hello teacher thanks for helping. We really appreciate it.
There are a few eggs.
There is a little oil.
There are a few grapes.
There is a little salt
Karla Anaya All of your sentences are correct. Well done, you have learned a lot from this lesson.
Best wishes,
Andrew
i'm bilingual english french ,what you're saying makes absolute sense to me but i always find it hard to explain to someone in french the rules . For me it just is that way i don't question it or question myself , i guess its because english was overwhelmingly predominant at home ,french was relegated to school thus with one i had a more scholar approach and the other was more free style immersive
ladyevenstar22 Thanks for your comment. Yes, it is sometimes not easy trying to explain the rules of our own language because we have learned it intuitively!
Best wishes
Andrew
This is for my school this is cool
Your viedos are really nice :)
I have a question, if bread is uncountable , I'm supposed to say "I bought a little bread", right? But it is correct to say "I bought a few loafs of bread"? The same rule is with juice/bottles chocolate/bar of chocolate etc.?
loaves of bread not loafs of bread