Few or a few?

Few is less than you want so you are unhappy. A few is more so you are happy.

  • She has few friends.
    (She doesn’t have many friends. She is unhappy.)
    She has a few friends.
    (She has friends. She is happy.)
  • We have a few minutes left in the lesson. Do you have any questions?
    (We have some time, so please ask me some questions.)
  • Few people bought tickets, so the concert was cancelled.
    (The concert was cancelled because they didn’t sell many tickets.)