Choose the most appropriate combination of words to complete the given sentence:
There was ______ rain in our village this July, so the ponds stayed dry and the farmers could not sow ______ acres of paddy.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → little / many
Complete sentence: There was little rain in our village this July, so the ponds stayed dry and the farmers could not sow many acres of paddy. “Rain” cannot be counted, and “the ponds stayed dry”. “Acres” can be counted.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) a little / many | a little: some, a small amount, with a positive sense | There is still a little milk for your tea. |
| (2) little / much | much: with uncountable nouns, but “acres” can be counted | There was not much rice left in the pot. |
| (3) little / many (answer) | little: hardly any, a negative sense, with uncountable nouns; many: with countable plural nouns | We had little time, so we could not visit many temples in Madurai. |
| (4) few / several | few: with countable plural nouns, but “rain” cannot be counted | Few shops in our town open before nine. |