A few vs. A little – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence. All questions take place in a scenario where two college students are discussing what to eat for dinner at the end of the month when their budgets are very tight.
1 We can’t afford to go to a restaurant, but I still have ______ money to buy pasta and tomato sauce.
(A) a few
(B) many
(C) a little
(D) a lots
2 We just need to buy ______ tomatoes from the supermarket to make a simple sauce.
(A) a few
(B) a little
(C) a much
(D) a lot
3 I checked my pockets, and I only have ______ coins left for the vending machine.
(A) much
(B) little of
(C) a little
(D) a few
4 Don’t worry about buying carbs; we still have ______ rice left in the kitchen cabinet.
(A) a few
(B) a little
(C) many
(D) a lots of
5 We must cook at home because there are still ______ days left until our parents send our next allowance.
(A) a much
(B) a little
(C) a few
(D) few
6 We should grab ______ cheap vegetables at the market to make our meal healthier.
(A) a little
(B) a few
(C) little
(D) a lots
7 I can lend you ______ cash if you want to buy some chicken to add to the soup.
(A) a little
(B) a few
(C) an
(D) many
8 There is only ______ milk left in the fridge, but it’s enough for our morning coffee.
(A) a much
(B) a few
(C) little
(D) a little
9 Let’s walk to the supermarket; it only takes ______ minutes and saves us the bus fare.
(A) many
(B) a little
(C) a few
(D) a few of
10 I think we need ______ cheese to make this cheap instant pasta taste better.
(A) a few
(B) a little
(C) much
(D) a little of
11 We bought ______ apples on discount yesterday, so we can have them for dessert tonight.
(A) lots
(B) a little
(C) a much
(D) a few
12 Cooking at home requires ______ effort, but it is definitely cheaper than eating out.
(A) a little
(B) a few
(C) few
(D) a lots of
13 Good news! I found ______ discount coupons for the grocery store that expire today.
(A) little
(B) a little
(C) a few
(D) much
14 The recipe only calls for ______ oil to fry the eggs, so the bottle we have is plenty.
(A) a few
(B) a lot
(C) an
(D) a little
15 Although we are almost broke, we still have ______ options for a decent homemade dinner.
(A) a little
(B) a few
(C) little
(D) much
16 We don’t need to starve! With ______ creativity, we can make a great meal from our leftovers.
(A) a little
(B) a few
(C) many
(D) a much
17 Let’s buy ______ eggs; they are a very cheap source of protein for broke students.
(A) much
(B) a little
(C) a few
(D) few of
18 If we just add ______ salt and pepper, this plain potato soup will taste delicious.
(A) a little
(B) a few
(C) a lots
(D) little
19 I found ______ dollars in my winter jacket! We can actually buy some ice cream now.
(A) much
(B) a few
(C) a little
(D) few
20 We only need ______ luck to find discounted meat at the supermarket this late in the evening.
(A) a few
(B) many
(C) little
(D) a little
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 C
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Money” is an uncountable noun. Using “a little” implies that while the amount is small, it is a positive amount—enough to buy groceries.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) “a few” is a common mistake used for countable nouns. (D) is a structural error (should be “a lot of”). (B) “many” is incorrect for uncountable nouns.
2 A
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: “Tomatoes” is a plural countable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a little” is a common mistake for countable nouns. (C) is a structural error. (D) “a lot” is a structural error missing “of,” and a meaning trap because they just need a small amount for a simple sauce.
3 D
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: While “money” is uncountable, “coins” are plural and countable.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) “a little” is a common trap because students associate coins with money (uncountable). (A) “much” is incorrect for countable nouns. (B) is a structural error.
4 B
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Rice” is an uncountable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) “a few” is the common mistake. (D) is a structural error. (C) “many” is incorrect for uncountable nouns.
5 C
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: “Days” is a plural countable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a little” is a common mistake. (A) is a structural error. (D) “few” is a meaning trap; “few days” means “almost no days left,” which contradicts the urgency of needing to cook at home to survive the rest of the month.
6 B
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: “Vegetables” is a plural countable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) “a little” is a common mistake. (D) is a structural error. (C) “little” is grammatically incorrect for plural nouns and has a negative meaning.
7 A
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Cash” is an uncountable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a few” is a classic mistake because students think of cash as countable bills. (C) “an” is a structural error. (D) “many” is incorrect for uncountable nouns.
8 D
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Milk” is a liquid and therefore uncountable.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a few” is a common mistake. (A) is a structural error. (C) “little” is a heavy meaning trap; “little milk” means almost none, which contradicts the phrase “it’s enough for our morning coffee.”
9 C
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: “Minutes” is a plural countable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a little” is the common mistake. (D) is a structural error. (A) “many” contradicts the context that the walk is short and convenient (“only takes…”).
10 B
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Cheese” is an uncountable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) “a few” is a common mistake. (D) is a structural error. (C) “much” is a meaning trap; they are on a tight budget, so they only need a small amount, not “much.”
11 D
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: “Apples” is a plural countable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a little” is the common mistake. (C) is a structural error (“a much” does not exist). (A) “lots” is a structural error (missing “of”).
12 A
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Effort” is an uncountable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a few” is a common mistake. (D) is a structural error. (C) “few” is grammatically incorrect for uncountable nouns.
13 C
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: “Coupons” is a plural countable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a little” is a common mistake. (D) “much” is incorrect for countable nouns. (A) “little” is grammatically wrong for countable nouns.
14 D
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Oil” is a liquid and uncountable.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) “a few” is incorrect. (C) is a structural error. (B) “a lot” is a structural error (missing “of”) and a meaning trap, as the recipe “only calls for” a small amount.
15 B
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: “Options” is a plural countable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) “a little” is the common mistake. (C) “little” is grammatically wrong. (D) “much” is incorrect for countable nouns.
16 A
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Creativity” is an abstract, uncountable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a few” is a common mistake. (D) is a structural error. (C) “many” is incorrect for uncountable nouns.
17 C
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: “Eggs” is a plural countable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a little” is the common mistake. (D) is a structural error. (A) “much” is incorrect for countable nouns.
18 A
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Salt” is an uncountable mass noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) “a few” is the common mistake. (C) is a structural error. (D) “little” is a meaning trap; adding “little salt” means adding almost nothing, which won’t make the soup taste delicious.
19 B
Explanation: – [a few]. Why it is correct: While money is uncountable, “dollars” is a specific currency unit that is plural and countable.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) “a little” is a massive trap here because learners often equate “dollars” directly with the uncountable “money.” (A) “much” is wrong for countable nouns. (D) “few” is a meaning trap; finding “few dollars” (almost zero) wouldn’t be exciting news for buying ice cream.
20 D
Explanation: – [a little]. Why it is correct: “Luck” is an abstract, uncountable noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) “a few” is a common mistake. (B) “many” is incorrect. (C) “little” is a meaning trap; “little luck” means bad luck, whereas “a little luck” means some positive fortune.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 The Core Rule (Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns):
- A few means “a small number” and is ONLY used with Plural Countable Nouns (things you can count: tomatoes, days, coins, dollars, apples).
- A little means “a small amount” and is ONLY used with Uncountable Nouns (things you cannot count: money, cash, milk, effort, creativity, luck).
2 The Positivity Factor (Why we need the “a”):
- In this budget context, the students don’t have much money, but they have enough to survive. This is a positive situation.
- A little money = “I don’t have much, but I have some (we can buy food).”
- Little money (without “a”) = “I am completely broke (we will starve).”
- Always use a few / a little to show that a small quantity is sufficient or helpful!
3 Tricky Financial Nouns (The Money Trap):
- The concept of wealth can be tricky. Remember:
- Money, Cash, Change: UNCOUNTABLE -> Use a little.
- Dollars, Coins, Bills, Cents: COUNTABLE -> Use a few.