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Here are a few tips to give you a little help

Another common confusion is when to use "few" and when to use "little".

The sight of a few elephants walking towards a water hole is magic. That's why finding a little ivory from a few tusks was so upsetting for the rangers, especially as they know that soon few elephants and little ivory will be left.

What does this example show us?

Firstly, the rule is use few with countable nouns and little with uncountable nouns. An easy way to remember this is ff and llfew friends and little light.

Secondly, are a few friends better than few friends? And is a little light better than little light?

The answer depends on the situation, but on the whole a few and a little of something are used more positively than few and little.

So if I've moved to a new city and I already have a few friends, I'm glad that I already have a couple of friends. But if six months after my move I have few friends, then I do have some friends but I'm sad that I don't have more.

Hope that helps and hereherehere and here are some other common confusions.

Feel free to ask me about any language questions you're having trouble with.

© Christina Wielgolawski