few, a few, a little and little

Question

hello,

anybody knows the difference between few and a few or both of them are correct when used in a sentence such as i have a few/few things to do before doing my home work?

the same thing goes with a little and little ...

thx,

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Consider these simple examples,
I have a few friends. I have some friends, but not a large number.
I have few friends. I don't have many friends. I wish I had more.

I have a few things to do before doing my homework. Some but not a lot. I can soon start my homework.
I have few things to do before doing my homework. I wish I had more. I don't want to start my homework

Please use capital letters correctly.
Clive

Anonymous · Answer

The meanings of few and a few are similar, but there is a difference of tone:

"I have a few things to do before I do my homework." The person saying this sounds normal and contented. The tone here is matter-of-fact.

"I have few things to do before I do my homework." This person sounds unhappy. He's essentially saying that he has nothing to do in his life.

Little and a little are used differently than few and a few, and they are different in meaning:

"I have a little to spare that I can give you." This person sounds like he cares and is willing to help someone in need, although there is the implication here that he himself does not have very much to give.

"I have little to spare and can give you nothing." This person is not willing to share, although he might be quite able to.

Edyguards · Answer

okay, thx for the explanations, it helped me a lot <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/2.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/2.gif' alt='Emotion: big smile'/>

few, a few, a little and little

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