few, a few, little, a little虽然都表示“少”，但（1）few, a few是可数的, little, a little是不可数的。

（2）a few, a little含肯定意味，few, little含否定意味。

这里所谓的“肯定意味”和“否定意味”应该这样来理解：同样是半杯水，口渴者会认为：There is little water in the glass. 而不口渴的人则会认为：There is a little water in the glass. 一：1．few修饰可数名词复数。

2．few (= not many; hardly any)含否定意义；a few (= some; several; a small umber of) 含肯定意义。

3．词组not a few = no few = quite a few = a good few = many quite a few=many（修饰可数名词）表示“许多”quite a little=much（修饰不可数名词）表示“许多。

4．当few受every, last, past, next, some, very等词所修饰时，表示肯定意义，few之前不再有冠词。

如：In the last few minutes, he checked up his paper again.It took us some few days to repair the machine.二：1．little修饰不可数名词，表示“量”。

2．little含否定意义(反义词：much)；a little含肯定意义(反义词：none)。

3．在非正式英语中，一般很少用little，常用not much, only a little来代替，如：We haven’t got much money / timea lot of, 相当于much,more的化身,但仅用于修饰名词,当后面接形容词比较级时,应为a lot;例:There is a lot of water in the tank;There'are a lot of books in my room;I'm a lot better now, thanks.more, 为much和many的比较级,后接名词(可数或不可数均可),或形容词;例:I have more books than him.I have more coffee than him;The book is more expensive.many, much, a lot of, lots of, plenty of表示"多"的意思，可用many, much, a lot of, lots of, plenty of等。

(1)many, much常用于否定句和疑问句，而a lot of等则常用于肯定句。

例如：I haven't seen many English films. 多数英文电影我没看过。

many修饰可数名词Have you seen many English films? 多数的英文电影你都看过吗？many修饰可数名词I haven't done much work today. 我还没有做多少活呢。

much修饰不可数名词Have you done much work today? 今天你已经做了很多活吗？much修饰不可数名词I have seen a lot of / lots of / plenty of / a great number of English films.我已经看了多部英文电影。

number修饰可数名词I have done a lot of / lots of / plenty of / a great amount of work today.今天我已经做了很多活。

amount修饰不可数名词(2) many / much 既可作限定词，也可作不定代词（INDEFINITE PRONOUN〕，a lot 也可单独用作名词词组：Have you done all these exercises?----No, I haven't done very many.Have you done much work today?----Yes, I've done a lot.(3) 当然，以上所讲many / much常用于否定句和疑问句并不是绝对的，尤其是在下列场合many / much也常用于肯定句：a) 用于whether / if引导的宾语分句中。

例如：I doubt whether / if there'll be many people at the show on this rainy day. 我怀疑在这个雨天里会有很多人看表演。

I wonder whether / if he has much information on this subject. 我想知道在这个题目上他是否知道很多消息。

b) 用于由"how / too / so / as+ many / much (+中心词)" 构成的名词词组中。

例如：He took so many boxes with himthat he had to call a taxi.他身边带着太多的箱子，不得不叫计程车。

It's really surprising that the child has so much strength at his age.真是很惊奇，在这个年龄的孩子居然这么有力气。

You can take as many copies as you need. 你可以根据你的需要想拿多少张就拿多少张。

You can use as much oil as you need. 根据你的需要想用多少油就用多少。

I have (far) too many books on the shelf.We've had too much rain this spring. 这个春天我们已经有太多的雨。

I'd like to know how many copies are needed for the class.我想要知道在这班需要多少张考贝。

I want to know how much money will be spent on the project.我想知道将在这个计划花费多少钱。

MUCH修饰不可数名词MONEY。

c) 用于在句首作主语以及在"存在句"中作实义主语的名词词组中。

例如：Many people would like to take holidays abroad. 许多人喜欢去国外渡假。

Much coal has been saved through the use of the new device. 通过用新的装置，很多煤被节省下来。

There are many girl students in my class. 在我的班级里有许多女学生。

There is much coal left in the mine. 在煤矿有很多的煤剩下。

同样地，a good / great many也可用于肯定句。

例如：I have read a great many English novels. 我已读过大量的英语小说。

few, (a)little(1)表示"少"的意思，可用(a) few, (a) little, 既可用作限定词，也可用作不定代词。

a few, a little表示"少量"，带有肯定意义。

例如：Let's invite a few friends to come with us.让我们来邀请几个朋友来和我们在一起。

Here are a few more books on this subject. 在他的课题上有少量的书。

There are only a very few left. 只有一点点剩下。

I'm keeping the few that remain for tomorrow. 我保住剩下的一点点为明天。

I had a little difficulty in solving the problem. 在解决这个问题上我有一点困难。

Give me a little of that wine. 给我一点那种酒。

I'm trying to use the little French I have just learnt. 我正在试用我刚学的一点法语。

(2)few / little 若不与a 连用则表示否定意义,相当于not many / much, not enough。

例如：I have very few (chocolates) left. 我剩下不多的巧克力。

Few (children) were tired. 很少的学生累了。

I have very little (money) left. 我有为数不多的钱剩下。

I understood little of his speech. 他的演讲我懂一点点。

要注意，quite a few, a good few. not a few不表示"少"，而表示"相当多"的含义，相当于, a fair number (of)。

例如：Quite a few of us are getting worried. 我们相当多的人正在担心。

You'll have to wait a good few weeks. 你将不得不等上相当多个星期。

little 的比较级和最高级是less 和least, 通常只能用与不可数名词搭配，但在当代英语中也有用less与复数搭配的。

例如：If only there were less holes in the roof. 如果房顶仅是少量洞。

但这只见于非正式主体；在正式主体中仍用fewer较少，为好。

词组：not a few = no few = quite a few = a good few = many（3）当few受every, last, past, next, some, very等词所修饰时，表示肯定意义，few之前不再有冠词。

如：（同（2））In the last few minutes, he checked up his paper again.It took us some few days to repair the machine.A great deal of 用法详解a great deal可单独使用，也可以用在形容词或副词的比较级前，表示“大量；许多”；而a great deal of只能用在不可数名词前，表示“大量的”。