Few and Little Negative Meaning Exercises
B1 Level
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The key to using "few" and "little" correctly is understanding that they function almost like negative words. "Few students passed the exam" is closer in meaning to "Not many students passed" than to "Some students passed." This is why "few" and "little" often appear with words like "very" for extra emphasis: "Very few people knew about the event" and "She showed very little interest in the offer." Adding "quite" before "a few" increases the amount: "quite a few" means "a surprisingly large number." This range from "very few" (almost none) through "few" (not enough) to "quite a few" (more than expected) is commonly tested in Cambridge B1 Preliminary reading and use-of-English tasks.
Quick Rule
few + countable plural (not enough) | little + uncountable (not enough) | very few / very little (almost none) | quite a few (more than expected)
- 1.Few passengers complained about the delay. (countable — not many, negative)
- 2.The concert didn't attract many fans — very few people turned up. (negative verb + few, countable)
- 3.Very few students handed in their homework on time. (emphasis — almost none)
- 4.There is little evidence to support that claim. (uncountable — almost none)
- 5.Quite a few tourists visited the castle last summer. (positive — more than expected)
All 20 questions
Choose the correct option. Remember: FEW/LITTLE (negative) vs A FEW/A LITTLE (positive).
He has _____ friends here, so he feels lonely. (a few / few / little)
There is _____ time left. We need to hurry! (few / a little / little)
I have _____ friends in this city. I'm not lonely. (little / a few / few)
We have _____ time before the meeting. Let's have coffee. (few / a little / little)
_____ students passed the exam. Most failed. (Few / A few / Little)
There is _____ hope of finding survivors after the accident. (few / little / a little)
I have _____ questions, if you have time to answer them. (little / a few / few)
He has _____ experience with computers, so he needs training. (few / little / a little)
There are _____ good restaurants in this area. It's hard to find nice places. (little / a few / few)
I have _____ money. I can buy you a coffee. (a little / little / few)
_____ people understand this difficult theory. (A few / Little / Few)
We have _____ information about what happened. (few / a few / little)
She made _____ mistakes on the test, but she still passed. (few / little / a few)
There is _____ milk left. We can make one cup of tea. (few / a little / little)
He has _____ patience. He gets angry easily. (little / few / a little)
_____ people came to the meeting. It was disappointing. (A few / Little / Few)
We have _____ ideas for the project. Let's start working! (few / a few / little)
There's _____ chance of winning, but we won't give up. (little / few / a little)
I received _____ emails today - only five. (few / a few / little)
She has _____ interest in sports. She prefers reading. (a little / few / little)
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