few和little都有表示“很少的…,几乎没有的…”意思,表示“虽然有,但很少”,强调“少”,表示否定的意思。little表示少量的,含否定意义。
1.这两个词都有“很少”和“没多少”的意思,都表示否定含意。其中few用于可数名词前,与many相对,little用在不可数名词前,与much相对。
2.little只修饰不可数名词,含否定意义。而few只修饰可数名词的复数形式,侧重指数量非常少,给人一种模糊概念,含否定意义。
3.few用作代词时,意思是“很少,几个”,作主语时谓语动词须用复数形式。little用作代词时有否定意味,接近于nothing。
4.little用作副词和感官的动词连用并放在动词前,表示“毫不”“一点也不”。当little用作副词置于句首时,句子采用倒装结构。
5.little的比较级与最高级常用smaller、smallest,而较少用littler、littlest。
6.only few、so few相当于few,表示否定、some few相当于some,表示肯定。
例句1.You've had chess on the brain since you were little.
你从很小的时候就对下棋产生了浓厚兴趣。
例句2.We had a tiny little room which was christened Hades.
我们有一个非常小的房间,取名哈得斯。
例句3.I spent what little time I had with my family.
我仅有的一点儿时间都和家人在一起度过了。
例句4.The reality is that only a few young people will go into teaching.
实际情况是,只有很少的年轻人会去当教师。
例句5.The reality is that only a few young people will go into teaching.
实际情况是,只有很少的年轻人会去当教师。
例句6.In my experience, very few people really understand the problem.
据我的经验看,真正理解这个问题的人很少。