3. Articles • Level 2

Little vs. A Little

10 Questions • 3 Minutes

📖 Lesson: Little vs. A Little

The "A" Rule (Positive)

A Little / A Few: Means "Some" (Positive).
"I have *a little* money." (Great, I can buy lunch).

The No "A" Rule (Negative)

Little / Few: Means "Not enough" (Negative).
"I have *little* money." (Sad, I am poor).

Countable vs Uncountable

Little / A Little -> Uncountable (Time, Money).
Few / A Few -> Countable (Minutes, Coins).

📋 Practice Questions

10 questions from this quiz — preview them here, then take the interactive quiz above. Your full answer review with explanations unlocks when you finish the test.

1. I have _____ money, so we can buy lunch.

Alittle
Ba little
Cfew
Da few

2. He has _____ friends; he is lonely.

Aa few
Bfew
Ca little
Dlittle

3. I speak _____ Spanish.

Aa little
Ba few
Cmany
Dmuch

4. We have _____ time, hurry up!

Aa little
Blittle
Ca few
Dfew

5. She has _____ ideas for the project.

Aa few
Bfew
Ca little
Dlittle

6. There is _____ hope left.

Alittle
Ba little
Cfew
Da few

7. I need _____ minutes.

Aa little
Blittle
Ca few
Dfew

8. Very _____ people came.

Alittle
Ba little
Cfew
Da few

9. Can I have _____ sugar?

Aa few
Bfew
Ca little
Dlittle

10. He pays _____ attention to me.

Alittle
Ba little
Cfew
Da few

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between little and a little?

"A little" means some — a small but positive amount ("I have a little money, so I can buy lunch"). "Little" (without a) means almost none — a negative view ("I have little money, so I cannot buy lunch").

Do "little" and "a little" work with countable nouns?

No. Both go with uncountable nouns (water, time, money). With countable nouns use "a few" (positive) or "few" (negative): "a few friends" vs "few friends."

What does "the little" mean?

"The little + noun" refers to a specific small amount: "The little money he had was stolen." It often appears in more literary or formal English.