difference between small & little

[knowledge]

Respected teacher,
I would like to know what is the difference between small and little. For example if we say small garden, small lamp why we can't use little garden and little lamp?
Thanks

[Clare James]

There is an article about this language point on this website that you might find interesting - BBC World Service | Learning English | Learn it

The problem for learners with the use of these words is that some expressions sound more natural with small, and others sound more natural with little. It's a question of collocation.

For more work on collocations, there are some good books for students including -

Check Your Vocabulary for Natural English Collocations - All You Need to Improve Your Vocabulary (Check Your Vocabulary) by: Jon Marks - Alison Wooder

[knowledge]

Thanks alot for your help