Lesson 38 – Common English Chunks – A Lot Of, A Little and A Few

🔊 Audio Learning

Ready to read.

📝 Daily Short Practice

⬜ Fill in the Blanks

⬜ Matching

⬜ Multiple Choice

⬜ Writing Practice

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🎯 Vocabulary Goal

Learn common English chunks to talk about quantities with countable and uncountable things.

📚 Words & Phrases

Word or phrase	Simple meaning	Example
a lot of	many or much, used with countable and uncountable nouns	She has a lot of friends at school.
a little	some, a small amount of something uncountable	I have a little sugar for your tea.
a few	some, a small number of countable things	He bought a few apples at the market.
not a lot of	only a small amount or number of something	There is not a lot of milk in the fridge.
just a little	only a small amount of something uncountable	I need just a little water to drink.
only a few	a small number of countable things, not many	She has only a few books on her shelf.

🔍 See It in Context

Buying Food at the Shop

Anna goes to the shop to buy some food. She says, I want a lot of bread and a few eggs. The shop assistant asks, Do you want a little milk? Anna answers, Yes, just a little. Then she looks and says, There is not a lot of butter today. The assistant smiles and says, Yes, only a few packets are left.

💡 Notice the Pattern

Using 'A Little' with Uncountable and 'A Few' with Countable

'A little' is for uncountable nouns like milk. 'A few' is for countable nouns like eggs.

I have a little water in my bottle.
He has a few friends at school.

💬 Useful Examples

There is a lot of traffic in the city.
Can you give me a little salt, please?
I saw a few birds in the park today.
We did not eat a lot of food at the party.

✏️ Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks

1.
She bought ____ books for her class. (a little / a few / a lot of)

2.
We have ____ juice left in the bottle. (a few / a lot of / a little)

3.
There are ____ people at the meeting today. (a lot of / a few / a little)

4.
There is ____ money in his account, so he cannot buy a new phone. (a few / not a lot of / a lot of)

5.
She needs ____ sugar for the recipe. (a few / a lot of / just a little)

🔗 Exercise 2 – Matching

1.
a lot of

2.
a little

3.
a few

4.
not a lot of

5.
just a little

Options:

a.
a small number of countable things
b.
only a small amount or number
c.
only a small amount, often used to show 'only a little'
d.
many or much of something
e.
a small amount of an uncountable thing

✅ Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice

1.
Which phrase is correct for talking about a small amount of water?

2.
Choose the correct phrase: I have ____ friends in my new school.

3.
What means many or much of something?

4.
If there is only a small number of items left, you say:

5.
Use this for a small amount with focus on 'only a small amount':

📝 Use It Yourself

Say a sentence using 'a few' about things you have.

Example:
I have a few pens in my bag.

🎙️ Speaking Practice

Practice these sentences aloud.

Say:
I have a lot of homework today.

Say:
She needs a little help with the project.

Say:
There are only a few bananas left.

Ask:
Do you have a lot of friends at school?

🔎 Answer Key

Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks

1. a few

2. a little

3. a lot of

4. not a lot of

5. just a little

Exercise 2 – Matching

1. d – many or much of something

2. e – a small amount of an uncountable thing

3. a – a small number of countable things

4. b – only a small amount or number

5. c – only a small amount, often used to show 'only a little'

Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice

1. a little

2. a few