a few agreements

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a few agreements" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a small number of agreements or contracts that have been made or reached. Example: "After several discussions, we were able to finalize a few agreements that benefit both parties."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

There were a few agreements in an otherwise unproductive day of negotiations, lobbying and hallway politicking.

The New York Times

Abu Mazen and I met for long talks, with Netanyahu's knowledge, and even reached more than a few agreements.

The New York Times - Magazine

In Moscow Nixon & Kissinger completed a few agreements, but the spokesmen for the superpowers failed to come to terms on an acceptable balance in offensive nuclear warheads.

The New Yorker

"So in the course of the day we have come to quite a few agreements on how we can move forward with our dialogue on a full range of issues that the two nations are interested in from trade, proliferation, to human rights to commerce," Mr. Powell said.

The New York Times

Jill and Jack have marshalled the financial resources from their seed round well, having invested heavily in R&D, a few good engineering hires and a few agreements with drone manufacturers overseas.

TechCrunch

And perhaps most significantly, Treasury has declined to require all TARP recipients to report on the actual use of TARP funds -- notwithstanding a few agreements with Citigroup, Bank of America and AIG.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Following a standard round-trip, the traveller adds on a cheap one-way journey elsewhere in the world, usually on a small airline that has few agreements with other carriers.

The Economist

But beneath this veneer of partisanship lie a few fundamental agreements.

The New York Times

A few plea agreements were reached and some defendants were released.

The New York Times

But only a few such agreements have been forged in New York.

The New York Times

"I am hoping to come home with a few partial agreements from this trip," Mr. Fox said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a few agreements", ensure the context makes it clear that the number of agreements is indeed limited and not a significant amount. Use it when the specific number isn't important, but the limited quantity is.

Common error

Avoid using "a few agreements" when the agreements are actually highly significant or impactful. In such cases, even if the number is small, highlight the importance rather than downplaying it with "a few".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a few agreements" functions as a noun phrase, acting as the object of a verb or preposition. It signifies a limited quantity of formal or informal understandings between parties, as demonstrated in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a few agreements" is a common and grammatically correct way to indicate a limited number of understandings or arrangements. As Ludwig AI highlights, its usage spans across diverse contexts, from news reports to business communications, maintaining a neutral register. While it's a useful phrase, ensure the context aligns with the implied limited quantity and importance, and consider alternatives like "several agreements" or "some agreements" for subtle variations in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

several agreements

Replaces "a few" with "several", indicating a slightly larger but still limited quantity of agreements.

a small number of agreements

More explicitly states the limited quantity of agreements.

some agreements

Uses "some" as a more general term for a limited quantity, making it slightly less precise than "a few".

a handful of agreements

Emphasizes the small number of agreements by using the figurative term "handful".

a limited set of agreements

Emphasizes the restricted and defined nature of the agreements.

a couple of agreements

Specifically indicates two agreements, which is a smaller quantity than "a few", but still within the range.

limited agreements

Focuses on the restricted quantity of agreements reached.

several understandings

Substitutes "agreements" with "understandings", which can carry a slightly less formal connotation.

certain agreements

Highlights the existence of specific agreements without specifying a precise number.

some accords

Replaces "agreements" with "accords", a more formal term for agreements.

FAQs

How do I use "a few agreements" in a sentence?

Use "a few agreements" to indicate that there are a small number of agreements or understandings. For example: "Despite the difficulties, we reached "a few agreements" on key issues".

What can I say instead of "a few agreements"?

You can use alternatives like "several agreements", "some agreements", or "a couple of agreements" depending on the context and the specific number you want to imply.

Is it better to say "few agreements" or "a few agreements"?

"Few agreements" implies a near absence of agreements, often with a negative connotation. "A few agreements" suggests that there were some agreements, though not many, and is generally more positive or neutral.

Which is correct, "a few agreement" or "a few agreements"?

"A few agreements" is correct because "few" refers to a plural number. "Agreement" should be pluralized to match. "A few agreement" is grammatically incorrect.