(a) little and (a) few

Uncountable and plural

We use the determiner (a) little with singular (usually uncountable) words, and we use (a) few with plurals. Compare:

• I have little interest in politics.
• Few politicians are really honest.
• We’ve got a little bacon and a few eggs.

Before another determiner (article, possessive, etc) or a pronoun, we use (a) little of and (a) few of. Compare:

• Could I have a little butter?
  Could I have a little of that butter?
  Could I have a little of that?
• Few people always tell the truth.
  Few of the people questioned told the truth.
  Few of them told the truth.

Use of a

There is a difference between little and a little, and between few and a few. Without a, little and few usually have rather negative meanings, close to no or none. They may suggest ‘not as much/many as one would like’, ‘not as much/many as expected’, and similar ideas.

• The average MP has little real power.
• Few people can speak a foreign language perfectly.

A little and a few are more positive: their meaning is generally closer to some. They may suggest ideas like ‘better than nothing’ or ‘more than expected’.

• Would you like a little soup?
• You don’t need to go shopping. We’ve got a few potatoes and some steak.

Compare:

• Cactuses need little water. (not much water)
  Give the roses a little water every day. (not a lot, but some)
• His ideas are difficult, and few people understand them.
  His ideas are difficult, but a few people understand them.

Quite a few (informal) means ‘a considerable number’.

• We’ve got quite a few friends in the village.

Formal and informal language

Little and few (with no article) are rather formal. In an informal style (e.g. ordinary conversation), we generally prefer not much/many, or only a little/few.

• Come on! We haven’t got much time!
• Only a few people remembered my birthday.

However, very little and very few are possible in an informal style.

• He’s got very little patience and very few friends.

(a) little and (a) few without nouns

We can drop a noun and use (a) little/few alone, if the meaning is clear.

• ‘Some more soup?’ ‘Just a little, please.’

Not used after be

(A) little and (a) few are determiners. They are normally used before nouns, but not after be.

• They had little hope. (but not Their hope was little.)

his few friends, etc

Note that few can follow possessives in expressions like his few friends, my few visits to Scotland. This is rather formal.

note

For a little with comparatives (e.g. a little better), (see here).

For the adjective little, (see here).