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Business English Tip of the Week

business-english-tipsEvery week we publish a business English tip concerning different aspects of business English. Topic areas include writing, speaking, listening, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, exams as well as general English. Many tips include audio clips. To receive 'Business English Tip of the Week' by email, just subscribe to the newsletter from the link above. 

A Little vs Little & A Few vs Few

26 May 2024

a little a fewA few

A few means ‘a small number of’. It is used before countable nouns.

Do you mind waiting a few minutes?

In a few years’ time we’ll be market leader.


Few

Few (without a) means ‘not many’; it is also used before countable nouns.

Few things respond more quickly to exchange rate changes than international travel.

If there are few opportunities for promotion, young executives will tend to leave the firm.


A little

A little means ‘a small amount’; it is used with uncountable nouns.

I need a little time to think about your offer but I’ll phone you first thing tomorrow morning.

A little can also mean “to some extent” when used with an adjective.

The first half-year results were a little disappointing.


Little

Little means ‘not much’ and is also used with uncountable nouns.

There is little time left for discussion so let’s come to a decision straight away.


Notes:

A few and a little tend to have positive meaning.

You’ll get used to the climate after a few weeks.

With a little help from the bank manager, the project will get off the ground.

Few and little tend to have negative meaning.

He seems to have little motivation for the job and should be moved to another section.

Few people like their boss interfering with their work.
 

Telephone Answering Tips

General Grammar and Writing Tips

Making Polite Requests

Punctuation – The Dash (-) and Brackets ()

Participating in Business Meetings

Should vs Ought to vs Must vs Have to

Tips for Effective Negotiations

Include One Idea per Sentence

Explaining Procedures – Sequence words and phrases

Open Punctuation /Full Blocked Layout Style

Speaking English on the Telephone

Using Prepositions with Times & Dates

Improving Intonation in English

Increasing Specific Vocabulary

Telephone Courtesy

Using Question Tags

Leaving Telephone Messages

Overused Words

Business Presentations – Signposting

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