GUIDE ENGLISH GRAMMAR BOOK

PAGE 221
177 Large and small quantities
b Only gives the phrase a negative meaning.
There are only a few night clubs in the city.
This means a smaller quantity than we might expect.
c Little can also be an adjective, e.g. I know a little/a small night club.
b
We can also use few and little without a. The meaning is negative. Compare
these sentences.
Is this a holiday place? ~ Yes, there are a few tourists here.
(a few tourists = some tourists, a small number)
Is this a holiday place? ~ No, there are few tourists/not many tourists here.
It was three in the morning, but there was a little traffic.
(a little traffic - some traffic, a small amount)
It was three in the morning, so there was little traffic/not much traffic.
In informal speech not many/not much is more usual than few/little.
NOTE
a We can use very before few/little.
There are very few tourists/hardly any tourists here.
b We can use a subject with not many/not much.
Not many tourists come here.
3 Special patterns with many and few
a
Many and few can come after the, these/those or a possessive.
The few hotels in the area are always full.
Can you eat up these few peas?
Tim introduced us to one of his many girl-friends.
b Look at this pattern with many a.
Many a ship has come to grief off the coast here.
I've driven along this road many a time.
This is rather literary. In informal speech many times or lots of times would be
more usual.
c
Many or few can be a complement.
The disadvantages of the scheme are many.
This is rather literary. Many before the noun is more normal.
The scheme has many disadvantages/a lot of disadvantages.
4 Other expressions for large/small quantities
a
b
Large quantities
A large number of people couldn't get tickets.
A dishwasher uses a great deal of electricity.
It uses a large/huge/tremendous amount of electricity.
Numerous difficulties were put in my way.
We've got masses of time/heaps of time/loads of time. (informal)
Small quantities
Several people/A handful of people got left behind.
A computer uses only a small/tiny amount of electricity.