a few success

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a few success" is not correct in written English.
The correct form would be "a few successes" as "success" is a countable noun in this context. Example: "After working hard for months, I finally achieved a few successes in my project."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

40 human-written examples

There are a few success stories.

The New York Times - Tech

Every film is actually a tiny corporation, and most fail, leaving just a few success stories.

The New Yorker

Both Ford and Opel have a few success stories in Europe, despite their overall woes.

The New York Times

ON THE face of things, school meals are one of a few success stories in modern American policymaking.

The Economist

Most of the kids had been ruined by prison and, aside from a few success stories, had either been arrested again or joined P.K.K. militants in the mountains.

The New Yorker

Several readers suggested adding a few success stories and providing greater insight into the site's process as a way of instilling more confidence in her service.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

20 human-written examples

There are a few successes.

The Economist

Mr. Pandit has had a few successes.

The New York Times

There were still a few successes.

The Economist

I've had a few successes and definitely made a few mistakes.

Princeton University

"We see a lot of failures and only a few successes," he said.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the plural form "successes" when referring to multiple instances of success. Remember that "success" is a countable noun in this context, and requires pluralization when used with quantifiers like "a few".

Common error

Avoid treating "success" as an uncountable noun when using quantifiers that indicate a specific number. Using "a few success" suggests a misunderstanding of how to properly quantify countable nouns in English. Instead, use "a few successes" or rephrase to use an uncountable modifier like "some success".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a few success" attempts to function as a quantifier plus a noun. However, it is grammatically incorrect as "success" should be pluralized to "successes" when used with the quantifier "a few". As Ludwig AI points out, the correct form is "a few successes".

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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News & Media

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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 success" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "a few successes". As Ludwig AI states, "success" is a countable noun in this context and requires pluralization when used with quantifiers like "a few". The intended purpose is to indicate multiple instances of achieving a desired outcome, but the error undermines its effectiveness. While the intended register is likely neutral, the incorrect grammar makes it unsuitable for formal or professional use. Remember to always pluralize countable nouns when using quantifiers like "a few" to ensure grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a few successes

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

some success

Uses "some" which can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns, unlike "few".

a bit of success

Rephrases using "a bit of" to modify the uncountable noun "success".

several successes

Uses "several" to indicate more than two but not many instances of success.

limited success

Indicates that the amount of success achieved was not substantial.

minor success

Specifies that the success was small or not very significant.

partial success

Implies that only some aspects of a goal were achieved successfully.

a handful of successes

Uses "a handful of" to suggest a small number of successful outcomes.

isolated successes

Highlights that the successes were not part of a larger trend.

occasional successes

Suggests that successes happened from time to time but not regularly.

FAQs

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

The grammatically correct way to express this is "a few successes". The word "success" is countable in this context and needs to be pluralized when used with "a few".

Can I use "success" as an uncountable noun?

Yes, but not with the quantifier "a few". You could say "some success" or "much success", where "success" is treated as a general concept rather than individual instances. For example, it's correct to say "They had some success with the project".

What are some alternatives to "a few successes"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "some achievements", "several wins", or "a handful of triumphs" to convey a similar meaning.

How do I know when to use the plural form "successes"?

Use the plural form "successes" when you are referring to multiple instances or examples of success. If you can count the individual successes, then it is appropriate to use the plural form.