07 FEW / A FEW / LITTLE / A LITTLE Flashcards
A few and a little
They give a positive idea; they indicate that something exists, is present
She has been here only two weeks, but she has already made a few friends
Positive idea: She has made some friends
I’m very pleased. I’ve been able to save a little money this month
Positive idea: I have saved some money instead of spending all of it
Few and little (without a) give a negative idea
They indicate that something is largely absent
Very (+ few/little) makes the negative stronger,
the number/amount smaller
A few and few are used with
plural count nouns
A little and little are used with
noncount nouns
FEW
POCAS; NARANJAS
FEW FRIENDS
LITTLE
POCO
A FEW
ALGUNOS
A LITLE
UN POCO; SUGAR
QUITE A FEW
BASTANTES
QUITE A FEW FRIENDS. MUCHOS AMIGOS
I feel sorry for her. She has (very) few friends
(Negative idea: She does not have many friends; she has almost no friends.)
I have (very) little money I don’t even have enough money to buy food for dinner.
(Negative idea: I do not have much money; I have almost no money.)
Some expressions of quantity (such as a lot of)
always contain of,
A lot Of books are paperbacks.
A lot Of my books are paperbacks
Sometimes of is used with an expression of quantity,
and sometimes of is NOT used with the same expression of quantity
CORRECT: Many of my books are paperbacks
INCORRECT: Many my books are paperbacks
CORRECT: Many books are paperbacks.
INCORRECT: Many of books are paperbacks
PAPERBACK
Libros rúticos, libros de pasta blanda, libros económicos
EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY THAT ALWAYS CONTAIN OF
a lot of a number of a majority of lots of a great deal of plenty of
EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY THAT SOMETIMES CONTAIN OF AND SOMETIMES NOT
all (of); most (of); almost all (of)
many (of); much (of); a few (of); a little (of)
one (of); two (of); three (of)
both (of); some (of); several (of); any (of)
Of is used with the expressions of quantity when the noun is specific. A noun is specific when it is preceded by:
- my, John’s (or any possessive)
- this, that, these, or those
- the
Examples
(h) Many Of my books are in English.
(i) Many of those books are in English.
(j) Many of the books on that shelf are in English.