a few illness

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a few illness" is not correct in English.
The correct form should be "a few illnesses" to match the plural noun. You can use it when referring to multiple types or instances of illnesses, but it must be in the correct plural form. Example: "During the flu season, I encountered a few illnesses that affected my family."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Watch: An episode of The Cartoon Lounge, with Bob Mankoff, in which he discusses a few illness-themed cartoons.

The New Yorker

Yet even though many health statistics have been improving over the past few decades, a few illnesses are rising mysteriously.

MIT Technology Review

Once again, there were a few illnesses in the paddock as people struggled to work in the humid conditions or ate food they shouldn't.

The Guardian - Sport

Earlier this year, the foreign minister, Witold Waszczykowski, told Bild newspaper: "We only want to cure our country of a few illnesses... a new mixture of cultures and races, a world made up of cyclists and vegetarians, who only use renewable energy and who battle all signs of religion".

The Guardian

There's plenty of research these days to suggest that getting a few illnesses as a young child ends up being good for you in the long run.

HuffPost

Conversely, a few illnesses (mainly chronic lifelong conditions such as heart diseases, chronic joint pain, tumours and cancer, hypertension and diabetes) were reported more frequently among household members in the richest quintile.

Plosone

So when I had the sad task of letting people know that Murray Span died on Dec. 8, after just a few days' illness, the primary response was disbelief.

The New York Times

Three months later, after a few days' illness, he died from blood poisoning on 18th September , 1924

SEP

On 1 July 1965, he had a heart attack and died after a few hours' illness.

Wikipedia

He died after a few days' illness on 8 November 1828, at his home.

Wikipedia

Within a few days, illness had spread to most of the sows in the facility and was confirmed by RT-PCR to be PEDV.

BMC Veterinary Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the plural form "illnesses" when referring to more than one illness. Saying "a few illnesses" is grammatically correct.

Common error

Avoid using the singular form "illness" with quantifiers like "a few", "several", or "many". The correct phrasing is always with the plural noun, such as "a few illnesses".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a few illness" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "a few illnesses", where "a few" acts as a determiner quantifying the noun "illnesses". Ludwig AI flags this usage as incorrect.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a few illness" is flagged by Ludwig AI as grammatically incorrect. The proper form is "a few illnesses", ensuring the noun "illness" agrees in number with the quantifier "a few". This corrected phrase is suitable for various contexts, conveying that there are multiple instances of sickness. To avoid this error, remember to always use the plural form of "illness" when referring to more than one. Alternatives such as "several illnesses", "a couple of illnesses", or "some illnesses" can also be used to express a similar meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a few illnesses

Corrects the grammatical error by using the plural form of "illness".

several illnesses

Replaces "a few" with "several" to indicate multiple illnesses.

a couple of illnesses

Substitutes "a few" with "a couple of", maintaining a similar meaning.

some illnesses

Uses "some" to indicate an unspecified number of illnesses.

a number of illnesses

Replaces "a few" with "a number of" for a more formal tone.

various illnesses

Uses "various" to suggest a variety of different illnesses.

a handful of illnesses

Emphasizes a small number of illnesses with a more descriptive phrase.

a scattering of illnesses

Suggests a dispersed or infrequent occurrence of illnesses.

limited number of illnesses

Highlights that the quantity of illnesses is restricted or small.

isolated cases of illness

Conveys that there are only a few, separate instances of illness.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "a few illness"?

No, the correct phrase is "a few illnesses". The word "illness" should be in the plural form when used with "a few".

What is the difference between "a few illness" and "a few illnesses"?

"A few illness" is grammatically incorrect. "A few illnesses" is correct because it uses the plural form of the noun "illness" to match the quantifier "a few".

What are some alternatives to "a few illnesses"?

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

How do I use the phrase "a few illnesses" in a sentence?

Example: "During the winter, I caught "a few illnesses", including the flu and a bad cold."