EXAMPLES. 1. Fewamong the eighty thousand or so air travellers who thronged the terminal daily ever glanced up at the executive mezzanine

1. Few among the eighty thousand or so air travellers who thronged the terminal daily ever glanced up at the executive mezzanine, and fewer still were aware of Mel tonight, high above them, looking down.2. «Taxine? I never heard of it.» «Very few people have, I should imagine. It is a poison that takes effect very suddenly and drastically.» 3. They inspected a few more pieces. 4. In a few moments he had reached the line fence. 5. I was talking to your mother a few days ago at Pinewood Sanatorium. 6. Her sister didn’t want to talk about hospital all the time, and she could talk of very little else. 7. There seemed little he could add. 8. I looked at her hands. They were trembling a little. 9. They knew a little French and every day she picked up a few words of Chinese, so it was not difficult for her to manage.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

1.Remember that few (fewer) and a few may be used only with countable nouns in the plural, while little (less) and a little are used only with uncountable nouns in the singular.

2.Remember that the use of the indefinite article before few or little makes their meanings different, e.g. Do you know many people who speak Spanish? Yes, I know a few. No, I know few.

Few and little are used in the negative sense: few means «not many, a small number»; little means «not much, a small quantity, in a smalldegree».

A few and a little are used in the positive sense: a few means «several», a little means «some, but not much».

3. Few and a few are never followed directly by word-groups like these children, those tables, her friends or by personal pronouns. The o/-phrase is the only correct form here.

Little and a little are never followed directly by word-groups like this conversation, my knowledge, etc. The of- phrase is the only correct form here, as «well as in the examples above.

4. To see little of somebody means «not to see somebody often or for long», e.g. They had seen little of each other, but their relationship was banteringly warm and affectionately easy.

5. Quite a few means «a good many», «a considerable number», e.g. «How was your ride down? You’ve probably taken it many times.» «Quite a few times. I knowevery foot of the way.»