A Bit And A Bit Of A

A bit means a little. It is quite common in informal British English.

  • Can you move a bit? (= Can you move a little?)
  • Can you speak a bit louder? I can’t hear you.
  • Will you wait a bit?
  • We were a bit late.
  • I was a bit worried.
  • I don’t want to go out now. I am a bit tired.
  • The watch was a bit expensive; nonetheless I decided to buy it.
  • She is a bit old to wear those short skirts, isn’t she?

We do not usually use a bit and a little with adjectives expressing positive ideas.

Compare:

  • The film was a bit boring. (BUT NOT The film was a bit interesting.)

A bit of a

A bit of a means rather a. This expression is used before some nouns.

  • He is a bit of a fool.
  • I have got a bit of a problem.

Not a bit means not at all.

  • I am not a bit worried. (= I am not at all worried.)

See Also

Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I am Manjusha. This is my blog where I give English grammar lessons and worksheets.

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