A little and A Few Exercises (with Printable PDF)

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Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

A little and a few are two phrases that confuse many English writers. Learn the difference between the two quantifiers, then answer the two printable worksheets to check your understanding.

A Little vs. A Few

Grammarist Article Graphic V4 59

Both a little and a few are called quantifiers that mean some.

  • Use a little with singular uncountable nouns.

Example: Your lasagna recipe needs a little salt.

  • Use a few with plural countable nouns.

Example: I have a few extra dollars you can borrow.

Remember that a little and a few are different from little and few. Little and few have negative meanings, which is not as much as may be expected.

We can also use a little and a few as pronouns.

  • Use a little when referring to singular uncountable nouns.

Example: I know a little about the life of the later princess.

  • Use a few with plural countable nouns.

Example: Do you need coins? I have a few you can borrow.

A Little vs. A Few Exercise #1

A Little vs. A Few Exercise #1

Choose the correct answer.

TRUE or FALSE: The presence or absence of the article “a” shows a difference in meaning between a little and little.
Which pronoun do we use with singular countable nouns that means some?
TRUE or FALSE: A little can be an adjective and a pronoun.
Which word has a negative definition of not as much as may be expected?
TRUE or FALSE: A little and a few can modify nouns and pronouns
Which quantifier do we use with plural countable nouns that means some?
Which quantifier do we use with singular uncountable nouns that means some?
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A Little vs. A Few Exercise #2

A Little vs. A Few Exercise #2

Choose the correct answer.

I wish I only had ______________ problems.
I enjoy drinking my coffee with ______________ sugar.
We have ______________ time left.
There were ______________ women outside our house this morning.
There’s ______________ milk in the fridge you can drink for breakfast tomorrow.
I have ______________ water left from my bottle.
______________ parents went to school this morning looking for their children.
She drinks ______________ glasses of water a day.
Candace is happy that she has ______________ good friends in her new town.
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A Little vs. A Few Final Word

I hope these three exercises help you master the difference between a little vs. a few. Remember:

  • A little can be a quantifier or pronoun used for singular uncountable nouns
  • A few can be a quantifier or pronoun used for plural countable nouns.

Do not use these phrases for singular countable nouns or when you mean to say not as much as may be expected.