come back...

3 infinitive after be likely
Be + likely is often followed by an infinitive. (Probable cannot be used in this way.)
I'm likely to be busy tomorrow.
Are you likely to be staying in this evening?
Do you think it's likely to rain?
He's unlikely to agree.
It is not used as a preparatory subject in this structure. He's likely to succeed. (NOT It's likely for him to
succeed-.}
322 (a) little and (a) few
I uncountable and plural
We use (a) little with singular (usually uncountable) words, and(a)fow plurals. Compare:
/ have little interest in politics. Few politicians are really honest. We've got a little bacon and a few eggs.
page
314
——i w lime ana w lew szz
of after (a) little and (a) few
r^ ^tie of and (a) few o/before a pronoun or determiner (for ^iple the, my, these - see 157).
(a) little of'it/this/yours etc
(a] fewofus/you/them/these/mineetc
(a) little/few of+ determiner + noun
Few people can say that they always tell the truth.
Few of us can say that we always tell the truth.
Could I try a little wine?
Could I try a little of your wine?
Only a few children like maths.
Only a few of the children in this class like maths.
3 use of a/an
There is a difference between little and a little, and between few and a few.
Without articles, little and few usually have rather negative meanings. They may suggest 'not as
much/many as one would like', 'not as much/many as expected', and similar ideas.
The average MP has little real power.
Few people can speak a foreign language perfectly. A little and a few are more positive: their meaning is
generally closer to some. They can often suggest ideas like 'better than nothing' or 'more than expected'.
Would you like a little soup?
You don't need to go shopping. We've got a few potatoes and some steak. Compare:
- Cactuses need little water, (not much water)
Give the roses a little water every day. (not a lot, but some)
- His ideas are difficult, and few people understand them.
His ideas are difficult, but a few people understand them. Quite a few (informal) means 'a considerable
number'.
We've got quite a few friends in the village.
4 formal and informal language
Little and/en; (with no article) are rather formal. In an informal style (G-g- ordinary conversation), we
generally prefer not much/many, or only a little/few.
Come on! We haven't got much time!
Only a few people speak a foreign language perfectly.
5 little and few without nouns
e can drop a noun and use little/few alone, if the noun has already been Mentioned.
^me more soup?"Just a little, please.' >
page 315
•"•"5 allu ^"r; a long time a?..
6 coniplements
Note that (a) little and (a) few are quantifiers, and are normally used h f nouns. They can be used alone if
a noun has been dropped (see above^t0^ they can rarely be used alone as complements after be when a
noun ha ut been dropped. not
They had little hope. (BUT NOT Their hope was little.)
7 (a) little as a modifier
(A) little can modify comparatives.
'How are you?' 'A little better, thanks.'
The new model is little faster than the old one. Little is not normally used to modify other adjectives or
adverbs.
It's not very interesting. (NOT It's little interesting.)
A little can be used like a bit (see 106), before adjectives and adverbs with a critical or negative meaning.
It's a little inconvenient.
You must forgive her-she's a little confused. They arrived a little late.
The negative form not a little (e.g. She was not a little shaken by her experience) is rare and literary.
Note also the expression little known.
He's studying the work of a little known German novelist.
For less and fewer, see 313. For the adjective little, see 511.
323 long and (for) a long time
1 long in questions and negatives
Long (meaning '(for) a long time') is most common in questions and negative clauses, and with restrictive
words like hardly, seldom.
Have you been waiting long?
It doesn't take long to get to her house.
She seldom stays long. ^
(for) a long time in affirmative clauses ||
In affirmative clauses we usually prefer (for) a long time. ^ I waited (for) a long time, but she didn't arrive.
(NOT / waited long. • •) It takes a long time to get to her house. (NOT It takes long...)
long in affirmative clauses
However, long is normal even in affirmative clauses with too, enough, as and so.
The meeting went on much too long.
I've been working here long enough. Time to get a new job.
You can stay as long as you want. J
Sorry I took so long. \ |
2
3
F1
neis also used in affirmative clauses to modify adverbs and conjunctions,
and in a few other common expressions.
We used to live in Paris, but that was long before you were born. Lone after the accident he used to
dream that he was dying. Lone ago, in a distant country, there lived a beautiful princess.
(rather formal) This is a problem that has long been recognised.
(pre-verb use - rather formal) She sits dreaming all day long. (also all night/week/year long}
I'll be back before long.
4 for a long time in negative clauses
When for a long time is used in a negative clause, it sometimes has a different meaning from/or long.
Compare:
- She didn't speak for long. (= She only spoke for a short time.) She didn 't speak for a long time. (= She
was silent for a long time.)
- He didn't work for long. (= He soon stopped working.)
He didn't work for a long time. (= He was unemployed for a long time.) The reason for the difference is to
do with the 'scope of negation': in the first and third sentences, not goes with/or long, but in the second
and fourth for a long time is outside the influence of not (it could go at the beginning of the clause).
5 How long are you here for?
Note that the question How long are you here for? refers to (or includes) the future. Compare:
'How longareyou here for?' 'Until the end of next week.'
'How long have you been here for?' 'Since last Monday.'
6 comparative
The comparative of fora longtime is (for) longer.
I hope you'll stay longer next time. (NOT .. .fora longer time.)
For no longer, see 372. Much, many and far are also more common in questions and negative clauses
(see 348 and
324 look
1 copular verb (='seem')
Look can mean 'seem' or 'appear'. In this case it is a copular verb (see 147) and can be followed by
adjectives.
You look angry - what's the matter? (NOT You look angrily...) Kw noun phrases can be used after look in
the same way as adjectives. / looked a real fool when I fell in the river. The garden looks a mess.
° talk about a temporary appearance, we can use simple or progressive torms; there is not much
difference of meaning.