2023-06-27 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด L – little - none

Revision L

 

การใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ที่ถือว่า ถูกต้องนี้ เป็นไปตามมาตรฐานการใช้ภาษา

การใช้คำอังกฤษ ไม่กำหนดมาตฐาน ถือตามส่วนใหญ่ที่ใช้แต่ละท้องถิ่น

ความหมาย อาจยืดหยุ่น ขึ้นอยู่กับ ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค

 

Dictionary.com

ออกเสียง little = ‘LIT-l’

ออกเสียง None = ‘NUHN’

 

NECTEC’s Lexitron-2 Dictionary

ให้คำแปล little = N. เล็กน้อย Adj ใจแคบ ไม่สำคัญ Adv. ไม่บ่อย

ให้คำแปล None = Pronoun ไม่มีสักอย่าง Adv. ไม่มี ไม่ใช่

 

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree

none = not one; not any:

None of them attended the event.; nothing:

She looked for a reason but found none.;

to no extent; no way

Not to be confused with:

no one = nobody: No one understands the problem.

nun = a woman of a religious order:

My teacher in Catholic school was a nun.

 

Dictionary.com

SYNONYM STUDY FOR LITTLE

Little, diminutive, minute, small

refer to that which is not large or significant.

Little (the opposite of big ) is very general, 

covering size, extent, number, quantity, amount, duration, or degree: 

a little boy; a little time.

 

Small (the opposite of large and of great ) 

can many times be used interchangeably with little, 

but is especially applied to what is limited 

or below the average in size: 

small oranges.

 

Diminutive denotes (usually physical) size that is much less 

than the average or ordinary; it may suggest delicacy: 

the baby's diminutive fingers; diminutive in size but autocratic in manner.

 

Minute suggests that which is so tiny it is difficult to discern, 

or that which implies attentiveness to the smallest details: 

a minute quantity; a minute exam.

 

Dictionary.com

GRAMMAR NOTES FOR NONE

Since none has the meanings “not one” and “not any,”

some insist that it always be treated as a singular 

and be followed by a singular verb: 

The rescue party searched for survivors, but none was found.

However, none has been used with both singular and plural verbs since the 9th century. 

When the sense is “not any persons or things” 

(as in the example above), 

the plural is more common: … none were found. 

Only when none is clearly intended 

to mean “not one” or “not any” is it followed by a singular verb: 

Of all my articles, none has received more acclaim than my latest one.

 

BRITISH DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS FOR NONE

USAGE FOR NONE

None is a singular pronoun and 

should be used with a singular form of a verb: 

none of the students has (not have) a car

 

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language

Usage Note: 

It is widely asserted that none is equivalent to no one, 

and hence requires a singular verb and singular pronoun: 

None of the prisoners was given his soup.

 

It is true that none is etymologically derived f

rom the Old English word ān, "one," 

but the word has been used as both a singular and a plural 

since the ninth century.

 

The plural usage appears in the King James Bible 

("All the drinking vessels of king Solomon 

were of gold ... none were of silver") 

as well as the works of canonical writers like Shakespeare, 

John Dryden, and Edmund Burke. 

It is widespread in the works of respectable writers today. 

Of course, the singular usage is perfectly acceptable.

 

Choosing between singular or plural is thus 

more of a stylistic matter than a grammatical one. 

Both options are acceptable in this sentence: 

None of the conspirators has (or have) been brought to trial.

 

When none is modified by almost, however, 

it is difficult to avoid treating the word as a plural: 

Almost none of the officials were (not was) interviewed by the committee.

None is most often treated as plural in its use in sentences 

such as 

None but his most loyal supporters believe (not believes) his story. 

See Usage Notes at every, neither, nothing.

 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Choose the Right Synonym for little

Adjective

SMALL, LITTLE, DIMINUTIVE, MINUTE, TINY, MINIATURE

mean noticeably below average in size.

 

SMALL and LITTLE are often interchangeable, 

but SMALL applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, number. 

a relatively small backyard

 

LITTLE is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity. 

your pathetic little smile

 

DIMINUTIVE implies abnormal smallness. 

diminutive bonsai plants

 

MINUTE implies extreme smallness. 

a minute amount of caffeine in the soda

 

TINY is an informal equivalent to MINUTE. 

tiny cracks formed in the painting

 

MINIATURE applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction 

on a very small scale. 

a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

'Liddle' & 'little'

 

While we do not now provide any variant spellings for little, 

the word has enjoyed great variety in form over the centuries. 

There have been dozens and dozens of ways to spell little,

including liddle (although it is not as common as lyttyll or lyttle). 

The reason we do not account for these variant spellings 

in our dictionary now 

is that all but little have largely fallen into disuse.

 

Common Errors In English Usage Dictionary

The expression “little or none” is meant to describe 

a very narrow distinction, between hardly any and none at all:

“The store's tomatoes had little or none of the flavor I get from eating what I grow in my garden.”

 

The mistaken variation “little to none” blunts this expression's force by implying a range of amounts between two extremes

 

Collins COBUILD English Usage

Little & a little

 

1. 'little' used as an adjective

Little is usually an adjective. 

You use it to talk about the size of something.

He took a little black book from his pocket.

 

2. 'a little' used as an adverb

A little is usually an adverb. You use it after a verb, 

or in front of an adjective or another adverb. 

It means 'to a small extent or degree'.

They get paid for it. Not much. Just a little.

The local football team is doing a little better.

The celebrations began a little earlier than expected.

 

Be Careful!
Don't use 'a little' in front of an adjective 

when the adjective comes in front of a noun.

Don't say, for example, 'It was a little better result'. 

Say 'It was a slightly better result' 

or ‘It was a somewhat better result’.

 

3. used in front of nouns

Little and a little are also used in front of nouns 

to talk about quantities. 

When they are used like this, they do not have the same meaning.

You use a little to show that you are talking about 

a small quantity or amount of something.

 

When you use little without 'a', 

you are emphasizing that 

there is only a small quantity or amount of something.

 

So, for example, if you say 'I have a little money', 

you are saying that you have some money.

However, if you say 'I have little money',

you mean that you do not have enough money.

I had made a little progress.

It is clear that little progress was made.

 

4. used as pronouns

Little and a little can be used in similar ways as pronouns.

Beat in the eggs, a little at a time.

Little has changed.

 

5. 'not much'

In conversation and in less formal writing,

people do not usually use 'little' without 'a'.

Instead they use not much.

For example, instead of saying 'I have little money',

they say 'I haven't got much money' or 'I don't have much money'.

I haven't got much appetite.

We don't have much time.

 

Be Careful!
Don't use 'little' or 'a little' when you are talking about 

a small number of people or things.

Don't say, for example, 'She has a little hens'.

Say 'She has a few hens'.

 

Similarly, don't say 'Little people attended his lectures'.

Say 'Few people attended his lectures', 

or 'Not many people attended his lectures'.

 

Collins COBUILD English Usage

Small & little

Small and little are both used to say 

that someone or something is not large.

There are some important differences 

in the ways these words are used.

 

1. position in clause

Small can be used in front of a noun, or after a verb such as be.

They escaped in small boats.

She is small for her age.

Little is normally used only in front of nouns.

You can talk about 'a little town', 

but you do not say 'The town is little'.

She bought a little table with a glass top.

I picked up a little piece of rock.

 

2. used with grading adverbs

You can use words like quite and rather in front of small.

Quite small changes in climate can have enormous effects.

She cut me a rather small piece of cake.

 

Don't use these words in front of 'little'.

You can use very and too in front of small.

The trees are full of very small birds.

They are living in houses which are too small.

 

'Very' or 'too' are not usually used in front of little 

when it is an adjective, 

except when you are talking about a young child.

 

You don't say, for example, 'I have a very little car', 

but you can say 'She was a very little girl.'

 

3. comparatives and superlatives

Small has the comparative and superlative forms 

smaller and smallest.

His apartment is smaller than his other place.

She rented the smallest car she could.

 

The comparative form littler and the superlative form littlest 

are mostly used in spoken English and to talk about young children.

The littler kids had been sent to bed.

You used to be the littlest boy in the school.

 

4. used with other adjectives

You can use other adjectives in front of little.

They gave me a funny little hat.

She was a pretty little girl.

 

Be Careful!
You don't normally use other adjectives in front of 'small'.

 

Collins COBUILD English Usage

none

1. 'none of'

You use none of in front of a plural noun phrase

to make a negative statement about 

all the things or people in a particular group.

None of these suggestions is very helpful.

None of the others looked at her.

You use none of in front of a noun phrase 

containing an uncountable noun to make a negative statement 

about every part of something.

None of the furniture was out of place.

You can use none of in front of a singular or plural pronoun.

None of this seems to have affected him.

We had none of these at home.

Don't use 'we' or 'they' after none of.

Instead you use us or them.

None of us had written our reports.

None of them had learned anything that day.

 

When you use none of in front of a plural noun or pronoun,

you can use either a plural or singular form of a verb after it.

The singular form is more formal.

None of his books have been published in England.

None of them is real.

 

When you use none of in front of an uncountable noun 

or a singular pronoun, 

you use a singular form of a verb after it.

None of the wheat was ruined.

Yet none of this has seriously affected business.

 

2. used as a pronoun

None can be used on its own as a pronoun.

There were none left.

He asked for some proof. I told him that I had none.

 

Be Careful!
You don't usually use 

any other negative word after none of or none. 

Don't say, for example, 'None of them weren't ready'.

Say 'None of them were ready'.

 

Similarly, don't use 'none of' or 'none' 

as the object of a sentence that already has a negative word in it.

 

Don't say, for example, 'I didn't want none of them'. 

Say 'I didn't want any of them'.

You only use none of or none to talk about 

a group of three or more things or people.

If you want to talk about two things or people, 

you use neither of or neither.

 neither

Collins COBUILD English Usage

None

usage.: 

Although a traditional rule of usage has been that 

none must always be treated as singular, 

this pronoun has been used with both singular and plural verbs since the 9th century.

When the sense is “not any persons or things,” 

the plural is more common: 

The rescue party searched for survivors, but none were found.

When none is clearly intended to mean “not one” or “not any,” 

it is followed by a singular verb: 

Of all my court cases, none has been stranger than yours.