a few time

USAGE SUMMARY

"a few times" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an action that happened more than once but less than many times. For example: "I've been to the beach a few times this summer."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

FileDrop is limited to a few 100MBs.

Harvard University

A few (14%) are not communicating at all.

Harvard University

I can knock down a few 3's.

The New York Times - Sports

Here are a few: 1) "Forget the Glow-Puck.

The New York Times

There are a few 30-minute versions for $19.95.

The New York Times - Travel

You'll get quite a few 45s or 55s, but almost no 20s or 80s.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Second, while there are >500 different E3 ligases, there are only a few E3 ligase recruiters.

University of California, Berkeley

Tuesday temperatures will be in the mid 70's to a few 90's possible.

Cornell University

I ran a few times a week, and had done a few 10ks for fun.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Misc Photographs: A few '60s era, Several appear to be 1900s.

Cornell University

I think I even have a few 3-D objects squirreled away in banker's boxes.

Harvard University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "a few times" instead of "a few time" to denote multiple occurrences of an event or action.

Common error

Avoid using the singular form "a few time". Remember that "few" refers to a plural number, so it must be followed by a plural noun like "times".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a few time" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "a few times". The word "few" requires a plural noun, making "time" incorrect in this context. Ludwig contains only examples of the correct form "a few times".

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a few time" is grammatically incorrect. The correct and usable form is "a few times", which indicates that something happens more than once, but not frequently. As Ludwig demonstrates, the correct form is widely used across various contexts. Remember to always use the plural noun "times" with "a few" to ensure grammatical correctness. The incorrect form should be avoided in both formal and informal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

A couple of times

Emphasizes a slightly more specific quantity (two) compared to the general "a few".

Several times

Implies more than two or three instances, suggesting a greater frequency than "a few".

A number of times

Similar to "several times", indicating multiple occurrences without specifying an exact count.

On a few occasions

More formal and emphasizes specific instances rather than frequency.

A handful of times

Informal, suggests a small, easily countable number of instances.

Once in a while

Indicates infrequent occurrences, less frequent than "a few times".

From time to time

Suggests irregular intervals and less predictability than "a few times".

Every so often

Similar to "from time to time", implying occasional and somewhat random instances.

Now and then

Indicates sporadic occurrences, less structured than "a few times".

A limited number of times

More formal and emphasizes the restricted quantity of occurrences.

FAQs

How to properly use "a few times" in a sentence?

Use "a few times" to indicate that an action or event happened more than once but not very often. For example: "I've seen that movie "a few times"."

What's the difference between "a few times" and "several times"?

"A few times" indicates a small number of occurrences, typically less than five. "Several times" suggests a larger, less specific number. You could say "I called him "a few times" this week", but "I called him "several times" last year".

Which is correct: "a few time" or "a few times"?

"A few times" is the correct phrase. "A few" is used with plural nouns, so "times" is necessary.

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

You can use alternatives like "a couple of times", "on a few occasions", or ""several times"" depending on the context.