Few vs. A few / Little vs. A little – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are studying abroad and making a video call to your parents after your first month. You want to reassure them that you are happy, making friends, and adjusting well to your new life. Choose the correct quantifier (A, B, C, or D) to complete your sentences naturally.
1 “Hi Mom and Dad! I have ______ time before my afternoon lecture begins, so I wanted to call and catch up!”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
2 “Please don’t worry about me being lonely. I have already made ______ friends in my dormitory, and they are so nice to me.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
3 “When I first arrived at the airport, I spoke very ______ English, and I felt so terrified and isolated.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
4 “But now, after practicing every day, I have ______ confidence when I talk to the locals at the market.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
5 “There are ______ cozy cafes near my apartment. My roommates and I usually go there to study on weekends.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
6 “I have very ______ money left from my allowance this week because I bought textbooks, but it’s okay, I am just cooking at home.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
7 “I only know how to cook ______ traditional dishes, but my new friends absolutely love trying my food!”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
8 “Unfortunately, there are ______ Asian supermarkets in this small town, so I can’t buy all our traditional spices.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
9 “Luckily, the girl next door gave me ______ soy sauce and ginger to use for my stir-fry last night.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
10 “Last Sunday was amazing. ______ of us from the dorm rented bicycles and rode up into the mountains.”
(A) A few
(B) Few
(C) A little
(D) Little
11 “I had very ______ sleep the night before because I was finishing an essay, but the fresh mountain air completely woke me up.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
12 “I took ______ beautiful photos of the landscape and the lake. I will send them to your phone right after this call.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
13 “Surprisingly, very ______ international students join the local hiking club, so it was a fantastic way for me to meet native speakers.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
14 “I still need ______ help with my academic writing structure, but my professors are incredibly supportive.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
15 “Honestly, I have ______ complaints about the university. The facilities are great and the people are welcoming.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
16 “It takes ______ effort to understand the thick regional accents here, but I am slowly getting used to it.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
17 “Yesterday, I went downtown and bought ______ small souvenirs for you and Dad. I hope you will like them!”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
18 “You asked about safety? There is very ______ crime in this neighborhood, so I feel completely safe walking home at night.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
19 “I also got a part-time job! I have already saved ______ money to buy a thick winter coat before the snow starts.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
20 “So, please relax! I am doing great. I just need ______ more weeks to feel completely at home here.”
(A) a few
(B) few
(C) a little
(D) little
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) a little
Why it is correct: “Time” is an uncountable noun. The speaker is happy that they have some time (enough time to make a phone call). A positive meaning with an uncountable noun requires “a little”.
2 (A) a few
Why it is correct: “Friends” is a plural countable noun. The speaker is reassuring their parents (“Please don’t worry”). Even if it is only 2 or 3 friends, it is enough to make them happy and not lonely. This positive perspective requires “a few”.
3 (D) little
Why it is correct: “English” (as a language ability) is uncountable. The speaker says they felt “terrified and isolated.” This means their English was not enough, creating a negative situation. A negative meaning with an uncountable noun requires “little”.
4 (C) a little
Why it is correct: “Confidence” is an uncountable noun. The speaker is expressing a positive change—they now have some confidence (enough to talk to locals). Therefore, we use “a little”.
5 (A) a few
Why it is correct: “Cafes” is a plural countable noun. The existence of some cozy cafes is a positive thing for the speaker and their roommates. Therefore, we use “a few”.
6 (D) little
Why it is correct: “Money” is uncountable. The speaker emphasizes the negative fact that the money is almost gone (“very ___ left”). The word “very” almost always pairs with “few” or “little” to emphasize a negative lack of something.
7 (A) a few
Why it is correct: “Dishes” (meals) is a plural countable noun. Even though the number is small, it is a positive thing because the friends “absolutely love” them. It is enough to share. We use “a few”.
8 (B) few
Why it is correct: “Supermarkets” is a plural countable noun. The word “Unfortunately” shows that this is a negative situation. There are almost zero Asian supermarkets, meaning it is not enough. We use “few”.
9 (C) a little
Why it is correct: “Soy sauce” is an uncountable liquid. The neighbor gave them some (a positive, helpful action). Therefore, we use “a little”.
10 (A) A few
Why it is correct: “Us” refers to people (countable). A small group went hiking, and it was an “amazing” day. Because it is a positive social experience, we use “a few”.
11 (D) little
Why it is correct: “Sleep” is uncountable. The speaker is describing a negative state of exhaustion from an assignment. Furthermore, the word “very” triggers the negative “little” (almost no sleep).
12 (A) a few
Why it is correct: “Photos” is a plural countable noun. The speaker successfully took some pictures to share with their parents. This is a positive action, taking “a few”.
13 (B) few
Why it is correct: “International students” is countable. The word “very” highlights the absence/lack of international students. (Almost zero). Therefore, we use “few”.
14 (C) a little
Why it is correct: “Help” is uncountable. The speaker is acknowledging they need some assistance, but views it positively because the professors are “supportive”. Therefore, they need “a little” help.
15 (B) few
Why it is correct: “Complaints” is a plural countable noun. The speaker says the university is great, meaning they have almost zero complaints. A lack of complaints is expressed with “few”.
16 (C) a little
Why it is correct: “Effort” is uncountable. It requires some energy to understand the accents, but it is an achievable, positive learning process (“I am getting used to it”). We use “a little”.
17 (A) a few
Why it is correct: “Souvenirs” is a plural countable noun. Buying gifts is a positive, successful action. Therefore, we use “a few”.
18 (D) little
Why it is correct: “Crime” is uncountable. The speaker feels “completely safe,” which means there is almost zero crime. The lack of crime is expressed with “very little”.
19 (C) a little
Why it is correct: “Money” is uncountable. The speaker is proud that they have managed to save some money (a positive achievement). Therefore, we use “a little”.
20 (A) a few
Why it is correct: “Weeks” is a plural countable noun. The speaker is optimistic and just needs a small, sufficient amount of time to feel perfectly fine. We use “a few”.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
To master these quantifiers at the B1 level, you must ask yourself two questions: Is the noun countable or uncountable? and Is the speaker’s attitude positive or negative?
1 The “Positive” Quantifiers (A few / A little)
Adding the letter “A” makes the meaning positive. It means “some, or enough”. Even if the number is small, the speaker is happy or satisfied with it.
- A few + Countable Nouns: I have a few friends. (I only have 2 or 3 friends, but I am happy! I am not lonely).
- A little + Uncountable Nouns: I have a little money. (I don’t have a million dollars, but I have enough to buy us some coffee).
2 The “Negative” Quantifiers (Few / Little)
Removing the letter “A” makes the meaning negative. It means “almost none, or not enough”. The speaker is complaining, sad, or pointing out a lack of something. (Hint: The word “very” is often placed before them to emphasize the lack).
- Few + Countable Nouns: I have few friends. (I have almost zero friends. I am very lonely and sad).
- Little + Uncountable Nouns: I have very little money. (I have almost zero money. I can’t buy lunch today).