A Few/A Little

We use a little with noncount nouns (to mean a small amount of) and a few with count nouns (to mean a small number of).

• There is a little pizza left. Would you like some?
• I like my coffee with a little milk and sugar.
• Mary gave John a little advice.
• A little honesty can be hard to find.

• I ate a few pieces of pizza.
• A few cars are parked in the parking lot.
• There are a few cows in the pasture.
• The meal cost a few dollars.

A Couple Of / Several

Similar to a few, a couple of and several are used only withcount nouns. We use a couple of to mean a small indefinite number of something. Often a couple of means two of something. We use severalto mean a small indefinite number of something, but fewer in number than many. In general,a couple of is less than a few, and a few is less thanseveral (a couple of < a few < several).

• I ate a couple of apples.
• Can you lend me a couple of dollars?
• This will only take a couple of minutes.

• Several people walked into the store.
• I drank several cups of coffee.
• John called several times when you were away.

Test your knowledge

Directions: Choose the best answer to fill in the blank. (10 problems)