一、(a) few与 (a) little的区别

1. 从所修饰的名词来看：(a) few后接可数名词，且要用复数形式;(a) little后接不可数名词。如：

We had little time to do it. 我们没什么时间做此事。

There’s only a little soup left. 只剩下一点儿汤了。

He has few friends. 他朋友很少。

I’ll only be away a few minutes. 我只离开几分钟。

2. 从所表示的意思来看：上面提到，两者均可表示数量，其主要区别是，(a) few后接可数名词，(a) little后接不可数名词。但是，(a) little还可表示大小。如：

Please accept this little gift.请接受这件小小的礼物。

There are several little towns along the river. 沿河有几个小镇。

注意体会下面两句，前面的little表示形状或个子“小”，后面的little表示数量“少”：

The little boy is very busy. He has little time to play. 这个小男孩很忙，他很少有时间玩。

It’s a little animal. It eats only a little food. 那是一个小动物，它只吃一点点食物。

3. 从各自的词性来看：在词性方面，两者的共同点是，均可用作形容词或代词;其不同点是，(a) little 还可用作副词，用以修饰形容词、副词、动词以及介词短语。如：

He is a little tired. 他有点累了。

They are a little bit better now. 现在他们稍好一点了。

You should walk a little faster. 你应该走快一点。

She was only a little over fifty years old.她才五十多一点。

二、有 a 与没有 a 的区别

不带 a 的little和few 含有否定意义，表示数量很少或几乎没有，强调“少”;带有a 的little和few含有肯定意义，表示数量虽然少但毕竟还有，强调“有”。比较：

Few people like such things. 没什么人喜欢那样的东西。

A few people like such things. 有少数人喜欢那样的东西。

He knows little English. 他几乎不懂英语。

He knows a little English. 他懂一点点英语。

注意，当few前不带 a，但带有the, some these, those等修饰语时，也表示肯定意义。如：

Some few have already left. 有几个已经离开了。

The last few winters have been very cold.过去几个冬天都很冷。

The first few chapters are about his early days.前几章谈他的少年时期。

三、思维拓展

注意两者比较级和最高级的用法及区别：little的比较级和最高级分别为less和least，few的比较级和最高级分别为fewer和fewest。如：

Boys think less about dress than girls do. 男孩子不像女孩子那样爱打扮。

He has the least money of all of us. 他是我们大家中钱最少的。

Fewer radios were sold this year than last. 今年卖掉的收音机比去年少。

He tried to finish the work with least money and fewest people. 他设法要用最少的钱和最少的人去完成这项工作。