Few, A Few, Little, A Little Exercises

Practice “few, a few, little, and a little” exercises to understand how these quantifiers are used with countable and uncountable nouns. Improve your grammar skills with simple examples and exercises for better writing and everyday English.

Table of Contents:

• When to Use 'Few', 'A Few', 'Little', 'A Little'
• Few, A Few, Little, A Little Exercises
• Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks with 'A Few' or 'A Little'
• Exercise 2: Use 'Little' and 'Few'
• Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Quantifier

When to Use 'Few', 'A Few', 'Little', 'A Little'

The quantifiers few and a few are used with countable nouns (e.g., books, students, apples). Few indicates an insufficient number (negative meaning), whereas a few refers to a small but sufficient number (positive meaning). Similarly, little and a little are used with uncountable nouns (e.g., water, money, time). Little denotes an insufficient amount, while a little indicates a small but adequate amount.

Few, A Few, Little, A Little Exercises

Practice these exercises to strengthen your understanding of “few, a few, little, and a little”. These exercises will help you correctly apply them with countable and uncountable nouns, while also recognising their positive and negative meanings in different contexts.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks with 'A Few' or 'A Little'

Fill in the blanks with “a few” or “a little”.

1. There are __________ chairs available in the room.
2. Please pour __________ juice into the glass.
3. Only __________ players were selected for the team.
4. I need __________ time to complete this work.
5. She has __________ coins in her purse.
6. Add __________ oil to the pan.
7. We have __________ options left to consider.
8. He showed __________ interest in the topic.
9. There are __________ pages left to read.
10. Can you spare __________ minutes for a quick chat?
11. She bought __________ oranges from the market.
12. I have __________ patience left after the long wait.
13. Only __________ members attended the meeting.
14. Please give me __________ information about the course.
15. We saw __________ birds near the lake.
16. He needs __________ guidance to finish the task.
17. There are __________ tickets remaining for the show.
18. I added __________ salt to improve the taste.
19. She has __________ friends in this city.
20. We still have __________ work to complete. 

Answers: 

1. There are a few chairs available in the room.
2. Please pour a little juice into the glass.
3. Only a few players were selected for the team.
4. I need a little time to complete this work.
5. She has a few coins in her purse.
6. Add a little oil to the pan.
7. We have a few options left to consider.
8. He showed a little interest in the topic.
9. There are a few pages left to read.
10. Can you spare a few minutes for a quick chat?
11. She bought a few oranges from the market.
12. I have a little patience left after the long wait.
13. Only a few members attended the meeting.
14. Please give me a little information about the course.
15. We saw a few birds near the lake.
16. He needs a little guidance to finish the task.
17. There are a few tickets remaining for the show.
18. I added a little salt to improve the taste.
19. She has a few friends in this city.
20. We still have a little work to complete.

Exercise 2: Use 'Little' and 'Few'

Fill in the blanks with “little” or “few”.

1. There is __________ hope of finding a solution now.
2. __________ students understood the concept clearly.
3. She has __________ interest in outdoor activities.
4. There is __________ chance of resolving the issue soon.
5. He has __________ experience handling such tasks.
6. __________ people attended the early morning session.
7. There is __________ time left before the deadline.
8. The project has __________ chances of success.
9. She showed __________ concern about the issue.
10. __________ players were ready for the match.
11. There is __________ water left in the bottle.
12. __________ candidates qualified for the final round.
13. He has __________ understanding of the topic.
14. We have __________ resources to complete the work.
15. __________ people are aware of this rule.
16. There is __________ support for the new policy.
17. __________ visitors came to the museum today.
18. She has __________ confidence in her abilities.
19. __________ participants followed the instructions properly.
20. There is __________ evidence to prove the claim.

Answers: 

1. There is little hope of finding a solution now.
2. Few students understood the concept clearly.
3. She has little interest in outdoor activities.
4. There is little chance of resolving the issue soon.
5. He has little experience handling such tasks.
6. Few people attended the early morning session.
7. There is little time left before the deadline.
8. The project has few chances of success.
9. She showed little concern about the issue.
10. Few players were ready for the match.
11. There is little water left in the bottle.
12. Few candidates qualified for the final round.
13. He has little understanding of the topic.
14. We have few resources to complete the work.
15. Few people are aware of this rule.
16. There is little support for the new policy.
17. Few visitors came to the museum today.
18. She has little confidence in her abilities.
19. Few participants followed the instructions properly.
20. There is little evidence to prove the claim. 

Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Quantifier

Choose the correct quantifier from the options in brackets.

1. There is __________ water left in the bottle. (little / a little)
2. __________ students participated in the competition. (few / a few)
3. I have __________ knowledge about this topic. (little / a little)
4. She has __________ friends in her new school. (few / a few)
5. We need __________ time to finish the task. (little / a little)
6. Only __________ people understood the instructions. (few / a few)
7. There is __________ sugar in the jar. (little / a little)
8. He has __________ experience in teaching. (little / a little)
9. __________ books were missing from the shelf. (few / a few)
10. I need __________ help to complete this work. (little / a little)
11. There are __________ chairs available in the hall. (few / a few)
12. She showed __________ interest in the project. (little / a little)
13. We have __________ options left now. (few / a few)
14. There is __________ milk in the fridge. (little / a little)

Answers:

1. There is little water left in the bottle. 
2. A few students participated in the competition. 
3. I have little knowledge about this topic. 
4. She has a few friends in her new school.
5. We need a little time to finish the task. 
6. Only a few people understood the instructions. 
7. There is a little sugar in the jar. 
8. He has little experience in teaching. 
9. A few books were missing from the shelf. 
10. I need a little help to complete this work. 
11. There are a few chairs available in the hall. 
12. She showed little interest in the project. 
13. We have a few options left now. 
14. There is a little milk in the fridge.