A Few and A Little Exercises
A2-B1 Level
English Exercises is teacher-led by Charlie. About the teacher · How content is made
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.
Quick Rule
a few + countable plural (positive — some) | a little + uncountable (positive — some) | few / little without "a" (negative — not enough)
- 1.I've made a few changes to the document — nothing major. (positive, countable)
- 2.She speaks a little Spanish, enough to order food. (positive, uncountable)
- 3.He has few opportunities to practise his English at work. (negative, countable — not enough)
- 4.She doesn't need a lot of help — just a little guidance is enough. (negative verb + a little, uncountable)
- 5.There is little chance of rain tomorrow, unfortunately. (negative, uncountable — almost none)
All 20 questions
Read the sentence carefully. The CONTEXT tells you whether the meaning is POSITIVE (some) or NEGATIVE (not enough). Choose the correct option.
I have _____ friends in this city, so I'm happy here. (few / a little / a few)
He has _____ friends here, so he feels lonely. (a little / a few / few)
There's _____ milk left. We can make coffee. (a few / little / a little)
There's _____ time left. We need to hurry! (a few / a little / little)
She speaks _____ English, so communication won't be a problem. (a few / little / a little)
_____ students passed the exam. Most failed. (A little / Few / A few)
I have _____ questions, if you have time to answer them. (few / a little / a few)
He has _____ experience with computers, so he needs training. (little / a little / a few)
We have _____ time before the bus arrives. Let's get coffee. (a little / a few / little)
There are _____ good restaurants in this area. It's hard to find nice places. (a few / a little / few)
I have _____ money. I can buy you a coffee. (a little / little / a few)
_____ people understand this theory. It's very complex. (A little / A few / Few)
She made _____ mistakes on the test, but she still passed. (a few / a little / few)
There is _____ hope of finding survivors. The situation is very bad. (little / a few / a little)
_____ people came to the meeting. It was disappointing. (A little / Few / A few)
We have _____ ideas for the project. Let's start working! (few / a little / a few)
He has _____ patience. He gets angry easily. (a little / little / a few)
There's _____ chance of winning, but we won't give up. (a little / little / a few)
I know _____ people who can help you with that project. (few / a few / a little)
She has _____ interest in sports. She prefers reading. (a little / little / a few)
Continue Practising
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