1. There is only a little water in the glass on the table.
2. There is only little water in the glass on the table.
(What is the difference between them? Are both the same? Because of 'a', do they have different meanings?)
3. There are only a few paper clips in the case.
4. There are only few paper clips in the case.
5. There are a few paper clips in the case.
(Among #3, 4,and 5, which one has more paper clips? Would you let me know the difference?)
I only know that I would prefer #2 without the word "only."
Again, for #4, drop "only."
The word "few" implies, perhaps, 3 or 4.
MsSue will explain far better, I am sure!
Sra
1. There is only a little water in the glass on the table.
2. There is only little water in the glass on the table.
The difference between these two sentences lies in the use of the indefinite article "a." In sentence 1, "a little" means a small amount of water, implying that there is some water in the glass, though not much. It suggests that the glass is not completely empty.
In sentence 2, "little" is used as an adjective without the article "a." It suggests that the amount of water in the glass is very small or close to none. It implies that the glass is almost empty or empty.
So, the presence or absence of the indefinite article "a" changes the meaning in this context. Sentence 1 suggests a small amount of water, while sentence 2 suggests a very small or negligible amount.
Now, let's move on to the next set of sentences:
3. There are only a few paper clips in the case.
4. There are only few paper clips in the case.
5. There are a few paper clips in the case.
Sentence 3 suggests that there are some paper clips in the case, but not a large quantity. It indicates a small number of paper clips.
In sentence 4, "few" is used as an adjective without the article "a." It implies that there are not many paper clips in the case, possibly suggesting a scarcity or insufficiency of paper clips.
Sentence 5, similar to sentence 3, suggests that there are some paper clips in the case, but the quantity is still relatively small.
Therefore, among sentences 3, 4, and 5, sentence 3 indicates the presence of a greater number of paper clips compared to sentences 4 and 5. Sentences 4 and 5 suggest a smaller quantity or a deficiency of paper clips.