a few interrogations

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a few interrogations" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to multiple instances of questioning or inquiries, often in a formal or investigative context. Example: "The detective conducted a few interrogations to gather more information about the case."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

I conducted quite a few interrogations myself, over 300.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Contrary to 'genome-wide' chips, custom-fabricated microarrays are less expensive and more readily adapted to the economically sensitive environment of the molecular diagnostics laboratory, where relatively few interrogations are relevant for clinical investigation of a patient specimen.

BMC Genomics

The cops scooped up Daniel and his roommates from their jobs, dragged them downtown for a few hours of interrogation, and confiscated their cell phones and other electronics before releasing them into the night under a fearful and paranoid cloud of utter disbelief.

Vice

Hence, after a few initial interviews, his interrogations in GTMO were terminated.

Huffington Post

Uncle Mahmoud started by telling me about his first interrogation, a few minutes after his arrest.

The New Yorker

Ms Badawi, the mother of a two-year-old girl, was released, only to be called in for further interrogation a few hours later before being allowed to return to her home in Jeddah.

Independent

My series producer back in London knew something was up because he hadn't heard from us, and at about 8 AM one morning, just a few hours after an interrogation session had ended, the hotel manager put a call through to my room while the men were outside.

Vice

The interrogation about Burnett's real injury came a few hours after an extended interrogation about a fake injury — the one Derek Jeter pretended to have sustained against Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

The New York Times - Sports

"All these stories," Conway laments late in the day, but, just a few pages later, a further interrogation has added "another story".

The Guardian - Books

In the oral history, Hughes says that, a few weeks after McConville's interrogation, "another transmitter was put into her house and she was still coöperating with the British".

The New Yorker

According to the interrogation report, a few days after the May 2, 2011, raid, "Sue" summoned Afridi to Islamabad and told him his life was in danger because of the vaccination campaign.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a few interrogations", ensure the context clearly indicates what type of interrogations are being referenced (e.g. police interrogations, job interview interrogations).

Common error

Avoid using "a few interrogations" in very casual settings where simpler terms like "some questions" or "a quick chat" would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a few interrogations" functions as a determiner phrase modifying a noun. It specifies a small quantity of "interrogations", indicating that there were multiple questioning sessions, but not a large number.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Science

26%

Academia

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a few interrogations" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase, as confirmed by Ludwig. It is used to indicate a small number of questioning sessions. The phrase is most commonly found in news and media contexts, with some usage in scientific and academic writing. While not extremely frequent, its meaning is clear, and it serves to quantify the extent of questioning in a given scenario. Alternative phrases like "several interrogations" or "some questioning" can be used depending on the desired level of formality and specificity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

several interrogations

Replaces "a few" with "several", indicating more than two but not many interrogations.

a couple of interrogations

Substitutes "a few" with "a couple", suggesting precisely two interrogations.

some interrogations

Uses "some" instead of "a few", indicating an unspecified small number of interrogations.

a limited number of interrogations

More formal alternative, emphasizing the restricted quantity of interrogations.

a handful of interrogations

Suggests a small, manageable number of interrogations.

a small number of interrogations

Replaces "a few" with a more descriptive phrase indicating quantity.

multiple interrogations

Uses "multiple" to indicate more than one interrogation.

several questioning sessions

Replaces "interrogations" with "questioning sessions", offering a less formal alternative.

some questioning

A more general term avoiding the formality of "interrogations".

brief interrogations

Focuses on the short duration of the interrogations, rather than simply their quantity.

FAQs

How can I use "a few interrogations" in a sentence?

You can use "a few interrogations" to describe multiple questioning sessions, such as: "The suspect underwent "a few interrogations" by the detectives."

What are some alternatives to "a few interrogations"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "several interrogations", "some questioning", or "a small number of interrogations".

Is it better to use "a few interrogations" or "few interrogations"?

"A few interrogations" indicates a small but positive number, while "few interrogations" suggests a number that is surprisingly small or insufficient. The choice depends on the intended meaning.

What is the difference between "a few interrogations" and "an interrogation"?

"A few interrogations" refers to more than one interrogation, implying multiple sessions. "An interrogation" refers to only one questioning session.