a few case

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a few case" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "a few cases"? If this is the case, you can use it when referring to a small number of instances or examples of something. Example: "In a few cases, the results were not as expected."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Consider a few case histories.

Independent

A few case studies set the scene.

The Guardian

Here are a few case files, some historic and some as current as "C.S.I".

The New York Times

There are only a few case reports addressing this topic.

Strategies in Trauma and Limb Reconstruction

In its pedicled form, the experience is currently limited to a few case reports.

Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery

A technique for therapeutic EUS-assisted rendezvous ERP has been described in a few case reports.

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Effectiveness of this proposed system has been proven through a few case studies.

Advanced Engineering Informatics

Finally, through a few case studies our agent design method is verified.

IFAC Proceedings Volumes

Available studies assessing oral retinoid treatment for PC are limited to a few case reports.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

The software that can be used for it and a few Case studies are also presented.

Catalytic Kinetics

The chapter discusses a few case studies that illustrate these techniques.

Content Networking Architecture, Protocols, and Practice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the plural form "cases" when referring to more than one instance. For example, use "a few cases" instead of "a few case".

Common error

Avoid using the singular form "case" when you mean to refer to multiple instances. This error often occurs due to oversight, especially in technical writing. Remember that "few" indicates plurality, so the noun must also be plural.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a few case" functions as a determiner phrase aiming to quantify a noun. However, it is grammatically incorrect as 'case' should be pluralized to 'cases' when used with 'a few'. Despite its incorrectness, Ludwig provides examples where it's used, showing its presence in various texts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

64%

News & Media

26%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a few case" is identified by Ludwig as grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "a few cases". Despite this, the phrase appears frequently, particularly in science and news media. Ludwig AI identifies that its intended function is to indicate a small number of instances or examples. When writing, remember to use the plural form "cases" to maintain grammatical accuracy. Alternative phrases include "a couple of cases" or "several instances". Therefore, while commonly found, strive for grammatical correctness by using "a few cases" in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a couple of cases

Replaces "few" with "couple", indicating a slightly smaller quantity but maintaining a similar meaning.

several instances

Substitutes "few" with "several" and "case" with "instance", indicating more than two but not many.

a number of examples

Uses "number" and "examples" to express a similar idea, focusing on the variety of instances.

some case studies

Replaces "few case" with "some case studies", indicating a small but unspecified number of case studies.

a handful of cases

Emphasizes the small number of cases, using the idiom "handful".

limited cases

Focuses on the scarcity of cases, conveying a sense of restriction.

certain cases

Highlights specific, though not necessarily many, cases.

a small selection of cases

More formally indicates a deliberate choice from a larger set of cases.

a restricted set of cases

Implies cases are not only few, but limited by some criteria or condition.

infrequent cases

Emphasizes the rareness of occurrence of these cases.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "a few case"?

The correct way to phrase this is "a few cases". The word "few" indicates a plural number, so it should be followed by a plural noun.

When should I use "a few cases" in my writing?

Use "a few cases" when you want to refer to a small number of instances or examples of something. For instance, "In "a few cases", the treatment had side effects".

What are some alternatives to the phrase "a few cases"?

You can use alternatives like "several instances", "a couple of cases", or "some examples" depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "a few cases" and "few cases"?

Yes, "a few cases" implies there are some, while "few cases" suggests there are very few, potentially bordering on none. The addition of "a" makes the statement more positive.