a few report

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a few report" is not correct in written English.
It seems to be a misconstructed phrase, possibly intended to refer to "a few reports" or "a few reportings." Example: "A few reports indicate that the project is on track for completion by the deadline."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

While some Jews fear that any criticism of Israel's military response will be read as disloyalty, and a few report being afraid to put Israeli flag stickers on their windshields, the current crisis has inspired more of a coming out than a run for cover.

The New York Times

Only a few report strength gains that can be considered substantial in comparison to the benefits of resistance exercise training.

Clinical interventions in aging

Only a few report both results in the short and long term after seizure induction [ 14] and very few report changes in neurotransmitter receptors over time [ 41].

BioMed Research International

While there are many studies that include motor-motor or cognitive-motor dual tasks, only a few report on systematic comparisons and report conflicting findings [ 10, 50– 50].

BioMed Research International

While many jurisdictions refer to standardised practice guidelines, a few report the intention to use powerful policy levers (including physician remuneration and non-physician investments) to facilitate the uptake of best practice.

Archives of Disease in Childhood

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

There are a few reports of paralyzed people who walked again after six months.

The New York Times - Science

"I would not be alarmed by a few reports," Dr. Hodgson said.

The New York Times

Despite a few reports of mutinous acts, however, the chain of command has held.

The New Yorker

Only a few reported feeling worse.

Complementary Therapies in Medicine

A few reports have addressed tethered cord syndrome.

The Spine Journal

A few reports have linked BPTI to mutations in CACNA1A1.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the plural form "reports" after "a few" to ensure grammatical correctness. For example, "A few reports indicate..."

Common error

Avoid using the singular verb form "report" after "a few". The correct usage requires the plural noun "reports" to maintain subject-verb agreement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase is intended to function as a determiner followed by a noun, specifying a small quantity of reports. However, due to the grammatical error, this function is not correctly realized. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a few report" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "a few reports". Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. Although there are examples of its usage in varied contexts like science and news, its incorrect grammar makes it unsuitable for formal writing. It should be replaced with grammatically correct alternatives such as "some reports" or "several reports" to maintain clarity and credibility in your writing. Remember to always use the plural noun after "a few".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Some report

Replaces "a few" with "some", indicating an unspecified but limited number.

A small number report

Substitutes "a few" with "a small number", providing a slightly more formal tone.

Several reports indicate

Changes to "several reports" and uses "indicate" to convey reporting.

Few reports suggest

Emphasizes the scarcity of reports using "few" and "suggest".

Limited reports indicate

Uses "limited reports" to highlight the lack of information.

Only a few sources say

Specifies "sources" as the reporters and uses "say" for a more informal tone.

A minority report

Uses the noun form of "report" to indicate that a small portion of a group reported

Isolated incidents reported

Focuses on the "incidents" reported, emphasizing their isolated nature.

Sparse data suggests

Replaces "reports" with "data" and uses "sparse" to convey limited information.

A smattering of reports

Uses "a smattering" to indicate a very small and scattered number of reports.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "a few" in a sentence?

The phrase "a few" should be followed by a plural noun. For instance, use "a few reports" instead of "a few report".

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

You can use alternatives like "several reports", "some reports", or "a small number of reports" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "a few report" or "a few reports"?

"A few reports" is the correct phrase. The word "few" indicates a plural number, so it needs to be followed by a plural noun.

How can I emphasize that there are very few reports available?

You can use phrases like "only a few reports", "very few reports", or "a limited number of reports".