as little as /as few as

Question

Hello ,It takes as little as four seconds for a car thief to break into a car. (few because seconds is countable) You can fly to Paris for as little as 20 euros. (because euros is countable)He drinks as much as three bottles of milk a day. (many because bottle is countable)The weather can change completely in as little as half an hour.( few because hours is countable)I could be back in as little as five days.(few because days is countable)I don't know why in the above examples we used 'little/much' instead of 'few/many'?Am I wrong?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Mickey Mouse 8241It takes as little as four seconds for a car thief to break into a car. (few because seconds is countable)

Both are actually OK.

Mickey Mouse 8241You can fly to Paris for as little as 20 euros. (because euros is countable)

Your explanation is incomplete, but both are actually OK.

Mickey Mouse 8241He drinks as much as three bottles of milk a day. (many because bottle is countable)

Both are actually OK again. In these cases, the quantity can be considered a total amount or a number of units.

Mickey Mouse 8241The weather can change completely in as little as half an hour.( few because hours is countable)

No, because there is no single hour; it is only half. Use 'little'.

Mickey Mouse 8241I could be back in as little as five days.(few because days is countable)

That is the reasonable choice, yes.

Mickey Mouse 8241I don't know why in the above examples we used 'little/much' instead of 'few/many'?

I have explained above that in many cases, the amount may be considered either an uncountable amount or a countable number of units.

Mickey Mouse 8241 · Answer

Mister MicawberMickey Mouse 8241It takes as little as four seconds for a car thief to break into a car. (few because seconds is countable)

Mister MicawberBoth are actually OK.

Lost of thanks for your reply.

We can use both 'as little as ' and 'as few as' in above example, because 'four seconds ' is considered as a unit of time,
Am I right?

Mister MicawberMickey Mouse 8241You can fly to Paris for as little as 20 euros. (because euros is countable)

Mister MicawberYour explanation is incomplete, but both are actually OK.

I meant 'You can fly to Paris for as little as 20 euros. (as few as because euro is countable)
Here, we considered 'euro' as a whole unit of money.
so we can use 'as little as 20 euros' and 'as few as 20 euros' .

Mister MicawberMickey Mouse 8241The weather can change completely in as little as half an hour.( few because hours is countable)

Mister MicawberNo, because there is no single hour; it is only half. Use 'little'.

Can I say "The weather can change completely in as little as/as few as two hours."
as little as -> refers to time as a whole/toal unit of time
and
as few as -> refers to time as a indivudual unit not a whole or total unit

But 'Half 'is noun and is considered both countable and uncountable .

Mister MicawberMickey Mouse 8241I could be back in as little as five days.(few because days is countable)

Mister MicawberThat is the reasonable choice, yes.

Here, again, we can use both 'as little as ' and 'as few as' .Because 'five days' can be used 'as a unit of time ' or 'individual' in as few as.

Mister Micawber · Answer

I agree except that 'half' is a single unit, not uncountable; you can have 'two halves'.

as little as /as few as

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions