Using “a little” and “a few” to make amounts sound positive
· 1:23 · With Emma
“Little” without “very” is possible too, but it is less common and sounds formal.
Transcript
Vocabulary in this episode
- uncountable noun
Use “a little” with an uncountable noun, like time or money.
An uncountable noun names something not usually counted as separate items, such as time or money.
- plural noun
Use “a few” with a plural noun you can count.
A plural noun names more than one person or thing; here, it is something you can count.
- Take away
Take away “a,” and the meaning often changes.
Here, “take away” means remove the word “a.”
- insufficient
You can also say “very little” for a small amount that feels insufficient.
It means the amount feels too small or not enough.