Can "little" modify countable nouns?

[nekocat]

Can "little" modify countable nouns?

A: Where did you have it custom-tailored?
B: It's not custom-made. I bought it off the rack.
A: Really? It fits you perfectly.
B: Thank you. It didn't fit me at first, so I had a little alterations made.

I learned that you can't use "a little" or "little" with countable nouns.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

I say, no. The example is an example of incorrect English.

 

[Geostigma]

No, it would have to be singular. "I had a little alteration made." You would have to use "a few" or "some" or something along those lines to go with the plural noun.

 

[made of stone]

Can "little" modify countable nouns?
I learned that you can't use "a little" or "little" with countable nouns.

A good question nekocat, it's very easy to confuse two distinct uses of 'little'.

As a modifier it can be used with countable nouns, e.g. 'Look at the little children.'

As a quantifier '(a) little' is only used with singular (usually uncountable) nouns, and '(a) few' is used with plurals. For example:

'We've got a little milk and a few eggs.'

 

[JimmySeal]

Did you add the "s" in alterations? Alteration can be used as an abstract noun (like proliferation, fluctuation), and in that case you can say "I had a little alteration done."

 

[bakaKanadajin]

A good question nekocat, it's very easy to confuse two distinct uses of 'little'.
As a modifier it can be used with countable nouns, e.g. 'Look at the little children.'
As a quantifier '(a) little' is only used with singular (usually uncountable) nouns, and '(a) few' is used with plurals. For example:
'We've got a little milk and a few eggs.'

yep yep!


made of stone knows many useful grammatical terms, he must have NOT worked at Nova where we're trained to say 'its just more natural that way'.

 

[Half-n-Half]

I think a better translation would be, "I had some alterations made." or you could even say, "I had little alterations made." So really, you could use it with a plural counting noun, at least I think so. However, the first one is the better choice.

 

[nekocat]

There! Conflicting opinion!
Thanks all! I appreciate your help!

 

[pugtm]

i had little alterations made can be said but it changes the meaning. If you say little you are saying you had small alterations made.

 

[gruntyking117]

"I had a little alterations made" sounds off, but "I had little alterations made" works. Just remove the "a" in the case of a plural and add it if it's singular.