a few were absent

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a few were absent" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that a small number of people were not present at an event or gathering. Example: "During the meeting, a few were absent due to prior commitments."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Formal & Business

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Science

Encyclopedias

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Reference

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Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Most of the brown algal plastid genes are shared with other red-algal derived plastid genomes, but a few are absent from raphidophyte or diatom plastid genomes.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Most of the risk factors were dichotomous variables (absent, present) and a few were continuous.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

A few muscles were absent in the mutant larvae (Figs. 3F and G), and many muscles were absent in rare cases of mutant larvae (Fig. 3H).

Plosone

Alternative splicing events identified by array but not RNAseq included exons that did not pass the deltaPSI and/or overall expression filters, and a few exons that were absent from the SpliceTrap database.

eLife

It was sad to see how women and politicians (with few exceptions) were absent from last week's protests.

HuffPost

While all students were offered one-on-one feedback on OSCE station performance, those who failed the station received an email encouraging them to come for feedback, and all students in this category (and the few who were absent for the formative OSCE), attended for follow-up.

BMC Medical Education

Staff in a few lower health centres were absent on the data collection days and hence only observations were made in these facilities.

BMC Infectious Diseases

Furthermore, a few PPIs from one database were absent in the other, such as the interaction between Utp20 and Sof1 reported by Tarassov et al. [4], which is included in the IntAct database, but not found in BioGRID.

Plosone

In both groups serious adverse events were absent, only a few patients reported mild and short-lasting adverse events after the first injections of test substances.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

By Thursday, the number of squatters had dwindled to a few hundred and the vast majority were absent as their shacks were being ripped down.

Los Angeles Times

Wild burros (Equus asinus) are found in a few locations in southern California but were absent from our site.

BMC Ecology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a few were absent", ensure the context clearly defines the group from which individuals are missing. For example, "A few students were absent from class today."

Common error

Avoid using "a few were absent" if the number of missing individuals is actually substantial. "A few" implies a small minority, so using it inaccurately can be misleading.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a few were absent" functions as a statement indicating that a small number of individuals were not present. It provides information about the composition of a group and the absence of some of its members, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a few were absent" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to indicate that a small number of individuals were not present. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is suitable for various contexts. While no direct examples were found in the provided search data, the analysis shows that it serves the purpose of informing about the partial absence of a group in a neutral register. When using this phrase, clarity is crucial; make sure the context clearly defines the group in question and that the number of absent individuals genuinely reflects a small minority.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

some were not there

Replaces "a few" with "some" and uses a more direct negative construction.

a small number were missing

Substitutes "absent" with "missing" and maintains the quantification of "a small number".

several were away

Uses "several" instead of "a few" and replaces "absent" with "away", implying a temporary absence.

only a handful were not present

Emphasizes the small quantity with "only a handful" and uses "not present" as a more formal substitute for "absent".

a couple were gone

Replaces "a few" with "a couple" and "absent" with "gone", suggesting a more informal or permanent absence.

a minority were lacking

Uses "a minority" to indicate a small proportion and replaces "absent" with "lacking", implying a deficiency in numbers.

few were in attendance

Changes the sentence structure to focus on attendance, implying that the others were absent.

not many were around

Employs a more colloquial tone, indicating that a limited number of people were present.

certain individuals were missing

Replaces "a few" with the more formal "certain individuals" and uses "missing" instead of "absent".

some members were not present

Indicates a specific group ("members") and uses the formal phrase "not present" instead of "absent".

FAQs

How can I use "a few were absent" in a sentence?

You can use "a few were absent" to indicate that a small number of individuals were not present. For example, "Despite the importance of the meeting, "a few were absent" due to illness".

What can I say instead of "a few were absent"?

You can use alternatives like "some were not there", "a small number were missing", or "several were away" depending on the context.

Is it more formal to say "a few were absent" or "some were not present"?

"Some were not present" tends to be slightly more formal than ""a few were absent"". The choice depends on the overall tone of your writing.

What is the difference between "a few were absent" and "many were absent"?

"A few were absent" indicates a small number, while "many were absent" indicates a large number. The appropriate phrase depends on the actual quantity of individuals who were not present.