James
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Jon
Emma
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Alex
Talking About Quantity in English – A FEW, A LITTLE, FEW, LITTLE
In this practical speaking and grammar lesson, I teach how to use some very common English expressions that are related to quantity. What is the difference between “a little” and “a few”? Or even the difference between “a little” and “little”? Watch this free English lesson to find out, then take the quiz to test your understanding.
Quiz
Test your understanding of this English lesson
Test your understanding of the English lesson by answering these questions. You will get the answers and your score at the end of the quiz.
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Very useful lesson. Thank you so much for these free lessons. God bless you. Murat from Turkey.
reallly god bless u…tnx
Thanks, this lesson was very helpful.
Thank you so much for lesson.Your explanation made me got more clearly…..
hi alex!!!
than you very much for your videos! they really helped me a lot with my english grammar :D
good lesson!!
thank you for your explanation, is very clear, and to the point.
dear Alex, I like your lessons you’re a good teacher, why you said I have a little money why isn’t I have a few money, because you can said I have one dollar, two dollars
I said this because money is actually a non-count noun. You can count dollars and cents, but you can’t count the noun money.
For example, you can say “one dollar,” two dollars,” but you can’t say “one money,” “two monies.”
Because you can’t say “two monies,” you can use “few” or “a few,” because they are only used with count nouns.
You said:
Because you can’t say “two monies,” you can use “few” or “a few,” because they are only used with count nouns.
- I assume you meant to say: you cannot use ‘few’ or ‘a few’…!
i want you explain about a few, few, a little, and little again.
because i remember that little is negative meaning, all right? why this sentence.ex I have little time for rude people (it’s a positive?)
Dear Alex,thahks a lot for such a nice and at the same time very clear explanation of this grammar rule.Now it is clear as a bell.
Dear Alex.
How about lot of and a lot of these are same like few and a few?
what’s the diffirence betweent “few” and “a few”
Thanks Alex. Your explanation was so clear and very useful. Thanks again
Thanks Alex.i wright your lesson on few pages and listen again.
Hello,
That mean I can use (a few) and (a lettle) with positive sence.
And (few) , (lettle) with negative sence.
Thanks a lot.
very good
very good
Sir, You are the best. Thanks a lot for excellent explanation.
Thank you for your explanation about the their differeneces.
php
Dear, Mr Alex
Thank you very much for you teaching me and always watch your video lesson . I hope so you will have the new lesson.
Thank you.
php
man u r great … :)
the best teacher at this site
he is so handsome :x :x
I like to learn English Speaking in greatly.
So pleas help me and teach,you and me contact with my email adders.
thanks
thanx
hi!alex ! it`s the first time i get it and… thank you for your lesson ! i appreciate that!
Ok, now understand it, thanks
hello alex!!
Thanks for this wonderful lesson. I had few confusions to use the words FEW,A FEW, LITTLE, A LITTLE. U clear them out. But anyway , Would u like to correct my upper sentence which i have write down with word FEW… :) Please RSVP. :)
This is Liza Here.
Very good lesson
thanks very interesting to follow this lesson
useful lesson, I liked it a lot.
thank you so much alex.your explains was simply but ditactic for me.again thanks
Please tell me how to download video please
Thank you so much for this highly informative lecture. But i want to ask you one question and that is you said in the lecture that we cannot count money but when we say that we have one Rupee, two rupee and so on aren’t we counting the money? plz sir reply to my question bcoz it is very confusing. thak you.
Money is actually a non-count noun. You can count dollars and cents, but you can’t count the noun money.
For example, you can say “one dollar,” two dollars,” but you can’t say “one money,” “two monies.”
You can have “little” or “a little” money, but you can’t have “few” or “a few” monies. On the other hand, you can have “few” or “a few” dollars, but you can’t have “little” or “a little” dollars, because dollar is a count noun.
I hope this helps!
so your talking about the money in word? not in money that you can count.
Dear Alex, thank you for making so easy to understand the diference betwen “few” and “a few”, also “little” and “a little”.
I know that you do not make the rule but for me, and for “aresha” too, the money are the most count-able thing in this world.
Do you have any money, do you have some money let me know how many or how much? At this point it is confused for me.
The teacher is saying money is general and cannot be counted. But money is made up of dollars and cents. So, a person does not count one money, two monies. But you can count 1 dollar and 2 dollars.
I have a little money. I only have a few dollars and a few cents.
I drank a little water. I drank a few drops of water. I drank a few ounces. I drank a few sips.
When the general term like water can be broken down into small units of measurement, then one can count.
Hope this helps.
The explanation is GREAT!!! thank you !
wow! thank your for your useful lesson!! i appreciate it.
i have a quesetion for you..
i took 5 questions after your lesson
but i got a wrong answer.
“She has few ideas.” is this noun” ideas” a count noun?
thank you:)
Ideas is a count noun. You can have one idea, two ideas, three ideas, etc.
I hope this helps!
Is idea countable or uncountable noun? How about CD? why few ideas and not a few CD? thank you
You can say “a few CDs,” because “few” and “a few” means more than one. You must use a plural count noun to use “few” and “a few.” CD is a count noun. You can have one CD, two CDs, three CDs, etc.
Thank you!!!Its very interesting and useful lesson.
Thanks Alex, For wonderful lessons . I am just wondering ,Is there any school where I can learn engvid lessons ? I am living in Toronto .
Please let me know I would like to join your class.
Hi alex, in what moment can I use “VERY FEW/LITTLE” thankks in advance for you answer.
Very good,I enjoyed doing it.
Thanks Alex
i am really lucky , because i have got a chance to be one of your students
Hi Lara! I’m glad you’re enjoying these lessons too.
really tnx,…i dont knw how to say thank you
thank you mr.Alex
u r great ..
ur lessons r interesting
great lessons from great person
thanks for u
Thank you very much. I’ve learned a lot from your lesson.
Simply and clearly
Thank you
its very good website i am not good english but when i enter your web sit wil good in english please make more
very usefull lesson, thanks! (from brazil)
Thanks alex for such a wonderful lecture.it really helped a lot.
Its very good website I want to learn english and to be the best Thank you to our teacher Alex explaining the lesson so that we can understand easily.
Such a good tutorial! Thank you Alex.
thank you Sir , its really helpful !
Good lesson alex ! I have had a mistake too, because I thougt that idea is uncountable word. Now, I must think twice, before tick the correct answer !
Thank a lot !
I got 5 out of 5. Thanks for lesson
thanks teacher for the lessons I really enjoy it.
thank you so much,Alex . now I can recognize them
I don’t even believe that you are English Teachers…….
thanks so much
thank you so so so much
All the explanation has been very important to me, I am really very happy after to find this site to take some doubt that I usually had before, I have just to say Thanks, Thanks, Thanks for at All.
hi Alex..
thank you for the lesson…
i want to learn English i hope u can help me..
I’m not good in English actually,so i want to learn English greatly
i hope u can teach me,we can contact with my email..
Thank you for the lesson.
It’s very good explination and I’m all ears with you on the video.
I got 4/ 5 question.. but it is little bit confuse, until i have to read again and again… I want to ask how to use it without confuse in speaking, I don’t have a partner for talking about. Thanks.
Hi, Alex!
Can we apply rule about positive and negative sentence(with and without “a”) for 1th and 2th examples:
I read a few pages(fact without emotion)
I read few pages(i want read more and more, I regret, but I must go to work) or
I drank little water(i want drink one more glass)
It’s right or folly?
^Thank you^
Hi Alex,
I love all of your lesson its always good to clear concept.I would like to learn all this in the class. Can you plz let me know is it possible to join your classes in Toronto??
thanks and regards
Thanks Alex!
Such a good lesson! :)
thanks Alex
i respect you so much
thanks Alex I am learnig a lot from your lessons bye.
I love your explanation! Very clear. I’ve learned alot with you. Even the most basic things that I considered to know, but after watching your videos I reinforced and improved my knowledge! Thank you
thanks… god bless you
Hi Alex,
What would you put her- a few or few:
We have been to Turkey …. times now, and we always enjoy it.
Would appreciate your help,
Kira
Thank you for lesson!!!
Thanks a lot i like ur classes because i can understand u than other. ur way of teaching is very good and i understand the usage of few little once again thank u
Thanks Mr.Alex… your explanation and presentation skill is really awesome…
i am expecting a lot from you..
once again thank for your good work….
keep it up…
THANKS SIR,very good lesson……i have a query about the use of ‘the little’ and ‘the few’ too…are their usages similar??
thank you very very much sir
thank s you have good explain lesson.we need more ;the verbs and verb sentens.good luck
Hi, Alex I´m from Brazil and I really appraciate your lessons. Please add me on my msn: val-decy2008@hotmail.com
skype: waldecy.jose.rodrigues
Thanks for all the lessons you have posted.
thanks, Sir Alex, you are a good teacher personally i like you and your teaching way.
Thank you, it is a good lesson
One comment about the ‘few/a few’ and ‘little/a little’ topic:
Consider these two sentences:
1. There is little merit in your argument
2. Few people would challenge the giant
Can these two statements include nothing/zero in the implied meanings? That is, can ‘little merit’ include ‘no merit’? Same for few.
The lesson was very clear.Many thanks
Hi Alex!Nice to see you again:)i’ve one more question about using “a little”and “little”.For exampla,I’ve seen a nice t-shirt,and i want to buy it,but i havn’t enough maney,and i say:”I’ve LITTLE maney”but if i had enough maney i would say”i’ve A LITTLE maney”-is it correct?
I have had a litle knowledge of a few, a little, few, little but I very confuse when using them. Now my mind is clear about them after your lesson. Thank you very much.
THank you for this quiz
Hi Alex, I would like to explain about when to use Can, Could, Shall, Should, Will, Would, May, Might and must. Please …
please explain about the difference between me and I
Thanks a lot for this lesson! It’s really usefull and interesting! You said very very clearly!
Hope to see you in many next lessons! One more thanks so much! ^_^
thanks a lo yar…., its very useful to us…
Thanks a lot!!
Interesting!!!!!!I have learn a lot.
Thank a lot !!! :D
thankxit is good
Hi Alex,you are THE BEST,thanks a lot!
thanks so much Alex
Hi Alex,
Hi Alex,
How are you? I’m fine!
I have curious about this lesson title. Using a few and few i a little and little.
Why did you use “i” instead “and” in a middle of the title ?
Hi Alex,how are you?You are a good teacher,I instead a bed student.I study evry day so hard,but I still don’t understand english.Can you give mi some advice please?
Thank you very much Alex. You are very good teacher.
Alex:
We really appreciate the clarity of your presentation. You are a woderful teacher. Keep up the good work.
We are from Ethiopia.
Thanks.
Hi Alex:
How is that idea is a count noun?
Can u please teach the difference between which and what?
Many thxs.Do you say which color is this or what color is this?
I hope to know how to diffrentiate between a few and few as well as little and a little. Now I knew when can we use little or few and in which sentence.
thx u so much,it’s so easy to understand.
thank you so much for yor excellent explanation. I hope to use well in the future.
Hi! Mr. Alex this is M.Nasim saying u greetings from Afghanistan. My dear teacher I really appreciate you, and you have a very good accent, therefore, serve us and provide us with ur better English pronunciation.
Thanks
Hope u the straight and the way God likes….
I wanet learn English jasut leilial for english belues halab my
I really want you for teahing me this Alex.
Great! I already understand why money is a
non-acount noun!
thank you so much.
Hi Mr.Alex,
Thank you so much. I can able to understand your teaching video. It is very useful to improve my grammer and accent skill.
This was a very usfel lesson for me- i start learing english soon and this lesson helped me alot
thank u :)
Extremly good…It makes me easier to understand few and little
Thanks a lot that I have studied English from this http://www.engvid.com
thanks to u engvid.
Thanks for your lessons. I really enjoy them. Could you be kind to add some more lessons related to Future Simple, Future Progressive, Future Perfect Progressive?
Hi Mr.Alex
You said really brief lesson about a few, a little.I have few questions to you, i hope you would like to answer!Thank you
1. A few is used in special negative for countnoun?example: Can i have a few apples?
Each day is a new experience. I have been using these words/grammar for many years now and never really knew the differences. However, I now do. I feel more educated after going through every lesson here in engVid. I think my spelling and vocabulary are under control but my grammar needs a good polish up :-) You will be delighted to know that you are doing a wonderful job. Wish you all the very best and thank you so much for everything. – Maun
hallo;sir
my name is yara i am a new student i heard this lesson but i got difficulties in second qestion because for me i thought that IDEAS IS NOT COUNT NOUN SO WHY WE PUT FEW NOT LITTLE.THANKS IN ADVANCE
Dear Alex sir
Sometimes we also use The Little and The Few
Can you please clarify that too ?
I shall be thankful for giving a hand to me.
IT’S VERY GOOD
God bless all of you for the great help you offer.
Is there any material for michigan proficiency
Why can’t we use few for few money instead of little money.You mentioned few is used for countable
It has always been a bit confusing for me! Thanks for talking about it in a clear and easy way. What the usage of “a bit”?
ash ash!! necesiito informacion para un proyecto no un viideo este hombre parece bobo ashh graxias x nada
Thanks. Finally someone explained it to me clearly :)
thanks!^^
U
From Hong Kong
Dear Alex
Thanks
very usefull your class for me
thanks
hi,
I’m a little bit confuse i thought I cant use few for non count noun. Thanks
Hi Mig,
You are correct. “Few” and “A few” are for count nouns. Did I say something different somewhere in the lesson?
wow i found this lesson very hard to understand but thank you any way alex for the help that you give us thanks
thanks!^^u so much
thank you so much!
Yeah…
I got full mark in the quiz.
Thank you alex.
thank you very much i had just one mistake.
I have one mistake to:(
Thank you from Kosovo!!!
Thank you Alex,that was very useful for us.
hi how are you ? i am from Baku )))
Dear sir
i download all lecture from you websit plz tell me what is the software use for see in these lecture.
thanx Alex…….. these lessons r very usefull
thank so lot alex, i wish that you’ll supply more videos same like this, thanks
hi how are you doing sir ,first thing thank you so must for all and i wish to have good tuck you too and
Sir,money is countable,then why is it used with little?
We cannot say “one money, two monies, three monies.” You can count dollars, cents, yen, etc., but you can not count the term “money” itself.
I am afraid,your explanation is not so clear for non-native speakers. I explain in a different and simple way. Few is opposite to many and a few is a little bit more than few. Little is opposite to much, and a little is a little bit more than little.
What’s the difference between borrow and lend?
:)
thanks Alex.
This site is very useful.
Thank you so much.
respected sir ur all lessons are wonderful and informative. i need videos on ” the use of could have , should have must have etc”
so much thanks from you your pronounciation is very fantastic i like it god bless u Muslim from Afghanistan
i cant say thnak you enough for your lessons because is very very usefull to people god is bless you are but please can you some time send for me ask my name is ahmad iam kurdish iraq but live in holand thnak you agine
Hi Alex, your explanation is pretty nice and clear. Can you please post a lesson of “can” and “could”? Please explain me how they are used because sometimes people use them as same meaning.
Thanks.
Hi Khan,
You can see an explanation of can, could, and be able to here:
http://www.engvid.com/expressing-ability-can-could-be-able-to/
Enjoy!
I appreciate it for that. It’s really benefit.
HI Alex You are great, thank you engvid group.
Could you give us a lesson about the difference between: Than and Then
Thanks in advance
Thank you so much. You’re a very good teacher!
thanks a lot…… i thought they are the same…
I undertood very well. Thank you so much. Lily from Brasil.
great lesson
hello mr alex it a very helpful lesson thanks alot
but why in the quiz you have a few penny is wrong
Hi mohamed,
“penny” is singular. “A few” must be followed with a plural count noun. If the answer said “You have few pennies,” it would have been okay.
hello Mr Alex;i am really grateful;but i just want to shed light on this:when we talk about count-nn and the opposite ,i think we say:countable nouns,and uncountable nouns…nout count-nouns and non-count???please give me an answer to that
abdel,
it depends who you talk to. :) Sometimes I call them “count” and “non-count” nouns, and sometimes I call them “countable” and “uncountable” nouns. It’s the same thing, and just two ways to talk about the same thing.
thax for teaching us….
i’m one of the fans for your lessons
Thanks!
when we had this lessons in the school . i was angry from my teacher so. I begin draw in my book and I don’t understood anything .now i understood. Thanks alot . what we can do without you & engvid.com.
Haha, that’s great. Thanks!
Dear Alex sir
Sometimes we also use The Little and The Few
Can you please clarify that too ?
I shall be thankful for giving a hand to me.
u r great teacher i’m so thankful for what u do for us we love u .
i love you so much
why in english that people said IN QUESTION
THERE IS
(a little bread)
and (a little cake)??.we can count a bread 7 cake is countable .
Hello!
Thank you for the lesson. I understand everything, but i still have a question with using “a few of”. Sometimes they say “a few”+ sth and sometimes “a few of” + sth. Can you help?
100% quiz, thank you,I`m from Brazil
I’m thankfull to you,that you delivered your lecturer very precisely.But i’m still confused to know that little money,& few lemon?
why our teacher said cake and bread is uncountable take (a little),so why can you explane we can say one bread two bread,and cake also.
love engvid & u only .best teachers ever i seen :)
This is a terrific lesson. I always had confusion on these cases. Thanks Alex. May Allah bless you and your family.
I didn’t understand the difference between a little and little, a few and few. And now I understand.
Thank you.
hai
very interesting and useful for everyone.
I always like your explanations…you are an excelent teacher.
many thanks?
I like your method of teaching……..
thank you soo much!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for helpful my grammar.^^
thank you for that class,you are a very good teacher,,,,,,i have a problem with a little money or little money:why you say a little money i think you say a few money because you can count the money,,i can say one peney,two peney ,,,three peney,,,please help me teacher in that confusion,,,,,,GOD BLESS YOU
This lesson is very good!
Thanks for you help Alex!
I like very much of your classes!
thanks for all the lesson that you have, this is useful for every one who want to know the proper use of polite English.
Hello Alex,
Your explanation is very good and useful.
Could you please explain what’s different between “Kind of” and “Sort of”??
Thanks a lot,
Sholpan
I can’t thank you enough !
really it’s useful, thanks
thank you so much i have scored the quiz
Thanks
Regard
Poum
awesome website to improve grammar…thanks to the creator
thank u very much for this beneficial lesson.
thanks Alex
i like your lessons
what is the diffrence between a lot of and alot and lots of
thanks
Thank you! Alex.
Like always Very Very Nice way to explain the difference. I really like Ur lessons.
I realy enjoyed this subject thank you
thank a lot :)
really helpful thank you very much
i’m in a esl program now, and i have been learning this lesson for the all 3 passed weeks nathing was so clear than it is now. thx allex
I get 5 correct answers)) Thanks a lot for your wonderful and free lessons!It’s Music for my ears!!)))
Hi Alex,
You very good teacher. Thanks, Agnieszka from Poland.
I am fortunate one today to learn a new lesson
Thank you very much this is the first time I got it
thank you teacher
thks for your help. It’s very clearly
thanks so much , i found very useful your course
thank you again
hi teacher you’re very good and clear , thanks a lot for your motivation and explanation ,
i ask you about some thing what i need i’m working at HP company in support technical customers and i always need to improve my English this why i need if possible to do some conversations where you can involve the users (us) to interact with some speech by recordable
i mean by recorded speech
hi everybody ))) Does anybody want to talk to me in English ..it is going to improve our speaking )) thanks
you’re the best
ive got it… i had a very friendly grammmar eng teacher at institute..unforn he was quiet lazy..he didnt give clear examples as u did..ty so much…i understood all—
Thank you for the video.
It was very useful!
It’s fantastic. I can’t believe it!
tenkyou
thanks a lot sir for ur free lessons,, serves great help for us to know how to speak english grammatically correct… Godbless you…
Dear Sir,
thanks for your all lessons.. but i can not watch this lesson… y
thanks alot for your useful lesson. it helps me alot ^_^
Hi Alex, thank you for the clear explanation! You’re the best! :)
Hi Alex,this lesson is not so easy for strangers but thanks for explanation.I like your pronantiation I understand you very well.
i learn more from your lectures. thank you
Hi, I am a TESL student at the moment and my post-secondary education is in linguistics. We were given a list of “difficult questions students will ask” the other day and little vs a little and few vs a few was part of it. Would you happen to know why we have a positive connotation associated with a few/a little? I was thinking about syntax, but a former classmate of mine suggested it might be related to pragmatics… Thanks in advance!
thank you so much Alex,I wish you all the success !!!