few, a few, little, a little

雖然都表示“少”，但

（1）few, a few是可數的, little, a little是不可數的。

（2）a few, a little含肯定意味，few, little含否定意味。這裡所謂的“肯定意味”和“否定意味”應該這樣來理解：同樣是半杯水，口渴者會認為：There is little water in the glass. 而不口渴的人則會認為：There is a little water in the glass.

一：

1．few修飾可數名詞複數。

2．few (= not many; hardly any)含否定意義；a few (= some; several; a small

number of) 含肯定意義。

3． not a few = no few = quite a few = a good few = many。

4． 當 few受 every, last, past, next, some, very等詞所修飾時，表示肯定意義，few之前不再有冠詞。如：

In the last few minutes, he checked up his paper again.

It took us some few days to repair the machine.

They are very few in number.

There were too few of them.

He goes to see his grandma every few weeks.

5． 在非正式文體中很少見，一般用或代替，如：

Only a few people attended the meeting.

另外，little / a little

Little remains to be done about it. (作主語)

A little remains to be done.

Please give me a little. (作賓語)

He knows a little of everything.

There is very / but little time left. (作定語)

Don’t worry; you still have a little time.

1． little修飾不可數名詞，表示“量”。

2． little含否定意義(反義詞：much)；a little含肯定意義(反義詞：none)。

3． 在非正式英語中，一般很少用little，常用not much, only a little來代替，如：

We haven’t got much money / time.

few

det./adj.很少的；(與複數名詞和複數動詞連用)不多，很少；(與複數名詞和複數動詞連用)有些，幾個

pron.一些；很少人(或事物、地方)；有些(人、事物、地方)；不和…一般多；少於

n.幾個；幾乎沒有；(對“多數”說的)少數

several

det./pron.

幾個；數個；一些

adj.

各自的；分別的