In the following sentence, a blank is given which must be filled with an appropriate quantifier. Select the correct alternative. There are _____ books on computer science in your school library, so you need to purchase them from the market.

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of quantifiers, especially the difference between few and a few when referring to countable nouns. The sentence discusses books on computer science in a library and the need to buy them from the market. The choice of quantifier changes the meaning of the sentence from neutral to negative, so you must pay attention to the implied attitude of scarcity.

Given Data / Assumptions:
Sentence: There are _____ books on computer science in your school library, so you need to purchase them from the market.
Noun: books (countable, plural).
Options: a few, a little, few, the few.
The second clause, so you need to purchase them from the market, implies that the number of books in the library is unsatisfactory or almost negligible.

Concept / Approach:
For countable plural nouns like books, we use few and a few, not a little, which is for uncountable nouns like water or money. A few has a positive or at least neutral sense: there are some books, enough to be noticed. Few has a negative sense: hardly any, not enough. The phrase so you need to purchase them from the market signals that the available number is insufficient, so we need the negative sense few, not the more positive a few.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Eliminate a little immediately, because a little is used with uncountable nouns (a little milk, a little time), and books is countable. Step 2: Consider a few. There are a few books on computer science in your school library, so you need to purchase them from the market suggests there are some books, which slightly contradicts the need to buy them because of scarcity. Step 3: Consider few. There are few books on computer science in your school library, so you need to purchase them from the market clearly conveys that the number is very small and inadequate, which fits the logic of the sentence. Step 4: Consider the few. The expression the few refers to a specific small number that does exist and is known or being emphasised: the few books that are there. This does not match the general statement that the library essentially lacks such books. Step 5: Therefore, the correct quantifier is few.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can paraphrase the sentence: Since there are hardly any books on computer science in your school library, you need to purchase them from the market. Hardly any matches the meaning of few, not a few. This paraphrase confirms that few is the best choice, as it carries the same negative implication of scarcity that the second clause suggests.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A few indicates some, a small but sufficient number, which weakens the justification for needing to purchase books from the market.
A little is grammatically incorrect because it is used with uncountable nouns, not with plural countable nouns like books.
The few would refer to a specific small set already identified, and would usually be followed by a phrase like the few books that are available, which is not the structure here.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners treat few and a few as interchangeable, but exam questions often depend on this subtle difference. Remember that a few is like some (positive), while few is like hardly any (negative). Reading the second half of the sentence carefully is crucial, because it often contains the clue about whether the writer is expressing satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the quantity.

Final Answer:
The correct completion is few, giving: There are few books on computer science in your school library, so you need to purchase them from the market.