一、意思不同
· few:表示数量很少,几乎没有。
· a few:表示数量较少,但有一定数量,可以理解为 "几个" 或 "一些"。
二、用法不同
· few:用于可数名词,否定用法,强调数量极少。
· a few:用于可数名词,肯定用法,表示数量虽然少,但仍然存在。
三、侧重点不同
· few:强调数量很少,带有否定意味。
· a few:强调数量虽然少,但仍然有,带有肯定意味。
举例
few:
· There are few students in the class today.(今天课堂上学生很少。)
· He has few friends.(他朋友很少。)
a few:
· I bought a few apples at the market.(我在市场买了一些苹果。)
· We have a few minutes before the meeting starts.(会议开始前我们还有一些时间。)
补充知识点
· few 和 a few 的区别主要在于否定和肯定的语义差异,而不是数量的绝对值。
· few 用作代词时,表示 "少数人" 或 "少量"。
· a few 还可以表示 "少量" 或 "一段时期",如 a few days(几天)、a few weeks(几周)。
· 在表示时间长短时,a few 通常表示一段较短的时间,而 few 表示一段较长的时间。
1、We've hada few replies.(我们已得到了一些答复。)
2、The letter camea few days ago.(这封信是几天前寄来的。)
3、She shelled and atea few nuts.(她剥了一些坚果吃。)
4、I madea few phone calls.(我打了几个电话。)
5、I've hada few sleepless nights recently.(最近我有好几个晚上没睡觉。)
6、Therefore, few people wrote.
7、Within a few minutes, quite a few people were crippled.
8、Eat few suppers, and you'll need few medicines.
9、A few months or a few years ago?
10、Few lawyers die well, few physicians live well.