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Teleostomi Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Can "little" modify countable nouns?
Can "little" modify countable nouns?
I learned that you can't use "a little" or "little" with countable nouns.A: Where did you have it custom-tailored?
B: It's not custom-made. I bought it off the rack.
A: Really? It fits you perfectly.
B: Thank you. It didn't fit me at first, so I had a little alterations made.
Top answer
Of couse it can: «Hush little baby and don't you cry» (Sommertime, Ella Fitzgerald). But in your example there should be no indefite article — "little alterations".
- Of couse it can: «Hush little baby and don't you cry» (Sommertime, Ella Fitzgerald).
- But in your example there should be no indefite article — "little alterations".
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11 Answers
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Of couse it can: «Hush little baby and don't you cry» (Sommertime, Ella Fitzgerald).
But in your example there should be no indefite article — "little alterations".
But in your example there should be no indefite article — "little alterations".
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No, I don't think "baby" could be called "countable noun" there.
I'd say it's "vocative" (Isn't there one in Russian?) although there supposed to be no case in English.
I'd say it's "vocative" (Isn't there one in Russian?) although there supposed to be no case in English.
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«Isn't there one in Russian?»
We used to have one before the Bolshevik Revolution... Now, in such sentences, the addressee stands in the nominative (subjective) case.
What about addressing several crying children: "Hush, you little babies, you fathers are rich and mums good looking so there's no reason to cry"? Also no case?
P.S.: Anyway, little can be used with countab
We used to have one before the Bolshevik Revolution... Now, in such sentences, the addressee stands in the nominative (subjective) case.
What about addressing several crying children: "Hush, you little babies, you fathers are rich and mums good looking so there's no reason to cry"? Also no case?
P.S.: Anyway, little can be used with countab
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OK, you're right. Thanks for clarifying it!
We used to have one before the Bolshevik Revolution.Ah, you ignited my fuse! Could you explain a bit more?
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Hi T
You may hear expressions like a little alterations in informal conversation but in correct English your sentence should be:
It didn't fit me at first, so I had a few alterations made.
If the alterations were so insignificant as to hardly deserve a mention, you could say: I had some
You may hear expressions like a little alterations in informal conversation but in correct English your sentence should be:
It didn't fit me at first, so I had a few alterations made.
If the alterations were so insignificant as to hardly deserve a mention, you could say: I had some
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«Ah, you ignited my fuse! Could you explain a bit more?»
How am I supposed to explain it? You know/are learning Russian?
How am I supposed to explain it? You know/are learning Russian?
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Yes, by all means, little can modify countable nouns.
As an American speaker, I agree that there are differences so that you can't always use "small" when you'd use "little," (the "little boy" example is a good one).
But you can use "little" just about any time you would use "small." You seem to have learned some sublties of difference between the two words that I, as a native s
As an American speaker, I agree that there are differences so that you can't always use "small" when you'd use "little," (the "little boy" example is a good one).
But you can use "little" just about any time you would use "small." You seem to have learned some sublties of difference between the two words that I, as a native s
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Grammar GeekIn your example, with the slight change to I had some little alterations made, it sounds fine to me.Hi GG
Your sentence sounds fine to me as well. I think the original poster didn't quite know how to ask the question he/she wanted to ask. That is obvious from his/her sentence, which has a little alteration
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Can "little" modify countable nouns?Only when it means small in size: The collage was constructed from little pieces of colored string. Not when it means small in amount: There
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(1) I have a little milk.
(2) I have little milk.
(3) I saw a little boy.
(4) * I saw little boy.
(5) A little alteration = (1)
(6) little alteration = (2)
(7) * a little alterations---(* a alterations + little)
(8) some little alterations---(some alt
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