a few population

USAGE SUMMARY

"a few population" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you want to refer to a small number of people within a larger population group, for example: "In the small town of Creekview, there is a few population of older residents."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

Since the end of the recession, the study said, household income has declined for all but a few population groups.

The New York Times

The Western Ghats mountains of southern India form a sky island system, where the relationship between the island structure and the evolution of its species remains virtually unknown despite a few population genetic studies.

Plosone

Earlier Indian studies have reported prevalence rates of depression that vary from 21 83% in primary care practices [12 15.] There have been a few population based studies from India but most have been done on selected groups [16] [21].

Plosone

With the exception of a few population studies based on complete genomes [36], [37] or coding region segments [38], [39], [40], most of the genotyping studies carried out to date were based on control region sequences [8] and/or mtSNPs at a low to moderate level of hg definition [18], [19], [20], [21], [41], [42].

Plosone

Even though cellular morphology and the nuclear program undergo a change after a few population doublings and within the relatively short time-frame of a few weeks, it may be that the mitochondrial complement requires more time and replicative cycles to realize its full potential.

Plosone

There are only a few population studies on the prevalence of radiographic sacroiliitis.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

Should a species be reduced to a few populations, the geographic mosaic of diverse adaptations that fuels the coevolutionary process is diminished.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It is, therefore, not surprising that there are often great fluctuations in the numbers of individuals in local populations and that the long-term persistence of species may often require the conservation of many, rather than a few, populations.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The usual nest is a mere scrape on a ledge high on a cliff, but a few populations use city skyscrapers or tree nests built by other bird species.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The evidence for hypoxia having population level effects is laboratory experiments, many examples of localized effects in nature, a few population-level examples, fish kills, and intuition.

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology

Such studies, from many countries worldwide, are often small, convenience samples of 'healthy' and/or community-dwelling centenarians, although a few population-based studies including participants with a broader range of physical and cognitive functioning are also presented.

Maturitas

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about population sizes, ensure that "a few population" is followed by a plural verb if referring to characteristics of the individuals within the population (e.g., "a few population are showing signs of stress"). If you are referring to a group as a whole use a singular verb (e.g., "a few population is not enough")

Common error

Be mindful of subject-verb agreement. The phrase "a few population" refers to a small number of groups, so ensure verbs agree with the plural sense, rather than treating "population" as a singular collective noun.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a few population" functions as a determiner phrase followed by a noun. It typically serves to quantify or specify a small, limited number of people. As Ludwig AI explains, the phrase is acceptable in written English and is mainly used in scientific contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

70%

Encyclopedias

15%

News & Media

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a few population" is grammatically sound and functional, albeit not overly common. It is most often found in scientific and academic writing, where it indicates a small number of people or a limited scope within a population study. While perfectly acceptable, be mindful of subject-verb agreement and consider alternatives like "small community" or "handful of residents" to best match the context. Ludwig AI confirms its acceptability, highlighting its usage in diverse fields such as medicine and evolutionary biology.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

limited number of inhabitants

Replaces "population" with a more descriptive term for people within a region and uses a direct synonym to express the amount.

small community

Substitutes "population" with "community", implying a closer-knit group, and replaces "a few" with "small".

limited number of individuals

Replaces "population" with "individuals" and uses a more formal expression of quantity.

handful of residents

Uses a more informal term "handful" to indicate a small quantity and replaces "population" with "residents".

sparse group of people

Emphasizes the scattered nature of a small population by using "sparse group".

minority of inhabitants

Highlights the population's size relative to a larger group by describing it as a "minority".

small subset of people

Replaces "population" with "subset", indicating a part of a larger group. Uses "small" to convey quantity.

restricted demographic

Uses the word "demographic" to add more context and replaces "a few" with "restricted".

a scattering of denizens

Uses "scattering" to emphasize distribution, and replaces population with "denizens", a word for inhabitants or residents.

isolated segment of society

Highlights the separation or distinctiveness of the group by using "isolated segment".

FAQs

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

You can use "a few population" to describe situations where only a small number of groups are being discussed. For example, "A few population studies have shown promising results".

What are some alternatives to "a few population"?

Alternatives include "small community", "handful of residents", or "limited number of inhabitants", depending on the context.

Is it more appropriate to say "a few populations" instead of "a few population"?

Yes, "a few populations" is generally more grammatically correct when referring to multiple distinct groups, whereas "a few population" is used to discuss general properties of a small, unspecified population group. The word "population" is treated as a plural in such case.

In what context is "a few population" most commonly used?

"A few population" is often found in scientific and academic writing, particularly when discussing limited research or observations within specific groups or demographics.