Question

Choose the correct form of the adjective with the help of the hint in the bracket:
The meeting was held in a very distant location. So, _______ staff members attended the meeting. (Not enough people)
A)A few
B)Few
C)Any
D)The few

Answer 1

Hint: An adjective is used to describe a noun or a pronoun. In the above-given sentence, we can see the use of Adjective of Quantity, which tells us the amount or number of a noun.

Complete step-by-step answer:

The adjective of quantity does not tell the exact amount or number of the noun. And we use these adjectives when we want to talk about something that does not include or require the exact number of nouns.
Example- I drank a little water. Here, the adjective of quantity ‘a little’, is used to describe the quantity of water, but we do not know its exact amount.
Let’s examine the given options to find the correct form of the adjective-
1)A few- It refers to some or a small amount of something. Based on the question, we are looking for an adjective of quantity to replace ‘not enough people’. Hence, a few is the correct option.
2)Few- It means almost none or not many. Hence, it is an incorrect option
Any- It can be used for both, countable and uncountable nouns. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
3)The few- It is not an appropriate term. Hence, it is an incorrect option.

Note: The only difference between a few and few are; a few are used for a small number of people or things, whereas few is used for not many people or things.