a lot/ a little/ a few?

Question

Hi, The answer to the question below is 'a lot' , however I don't know why 'a little' is wrong. I just doesn't sound natural to my ear.
Question : Do you like pasta a lot/a little/a few?

Thank you very much.
H.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Here's the broad idea.
Question : Do you like pasta a lot? Do you love it?

Question : Do you like pasta a little? Do you have just a small liking for it?

CalifJim · Answer

1 Do you like pasta?
2 Do you like pasta much?
3 Do you like pasta very much?
4 Do you like pasta a lot?

Since it is customary to add maximum degree terms to questions, it's anomalous to add one of lesser degree.

So these sound right as conversation openers:

Is your car very big?
Is your son very tall?
Does she talk a lot?

And these sound wrong unless an appropriate context has already been established in the conversation:

Is your car very little?
Is your son very short?
Does she talk very little?
_____________________

In the case of your example sentence, "a little" might go better like this:

Don't you like pasta even a little?

CJ

Innertide · Answer

Thank you very so very much CJ and Clive.

H.

Vsuresh · Answer

Very helpful explanation, CJ. Thank you.

a lot/ a little/ a few?

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