little - a little

◊ 'little' used as an adjective

Little is usually used as an adjective. You use it to talk about the size of something.

...a little table with a glass top.

See entry at ↑ small - little.

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◊ 'a little' used as an adverb

A little is usually used as an adverb. You use it after a verb, or in front of an adjective or another adverb. It means `to a small extent or degree'.

The economy is expected to slow down a little.

Trading is thought to have been a little disappointing.

The local football team is doing a little better.

The celebrations began a little earlier than expected.

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Note that you do not use a little in front of an adjective when the adjective comes in front of a noun.

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Several other words and expressions can be used to express degree. For a graded list, see section on degree in entry at ↑ Adverbials. See also section on submodifiers in entry at ↑ Adverbs.

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◊ used in front of nouns

Little and a little are also used in front of nouns to talk about quantities. When they are used like this, they do not have the same meaning.

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You use a little simply to indicate that you are talking about a small quantity or amount of something. When you use little without `a', you are emphasizing that there is only a small quantity or amount of something.

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So, for example, if you say `I have a little money', you are simply saying that you have some money. However, if you say `I have little money', you mean that you do not have enough money.

I had made a little progress.

It is clear that little progress was made.

He started a new business with a little help from his friends.

Having an independent allowance will be little help.

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◊ used as pronouns

Little and a little can be used in similar ways as pronouns.

Beat in the eggs, a little at a time.

Little has changed.

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◊ 'not much'

In conversation, people do not usually use little without `a'. Instead they use not much. For example, instead of saying `I have little money', they say `I haven't got much money' or `I don't have much money'.

I haven't got much appetite.

You haven't got much to say to me, have you?

We probably don't have much time.

You don't have much contact with other people.

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◊ WARNING

You do not use little or a little when you are talking about a small number of people or things. You do not say, for example, `She has a little hens'. You say `She has a few hens'. Similarly, you do not say `Little people attended his lectures'. You say `Few people attended his lectures', or `Not many people attended his lectures'. See entry at ↑ few - a few.

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