a small number while

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a small number while" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It seems to be an incomplete thought and lacks context to be usable. Example: "A small number while waiting for the bus can lead to a more pleasant experience."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

If data from the the model are similar to the experimental data, (chi^{2}) will be a small number, while if they differ, (chi^{2}) would be a bigger number.

Applied Water Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

It's often claimed that limits on trade benefit only a small number of Americans, while hurting the vast majority.

The New York Times

Dr. Freeman said too much effort was being spent worrying about a small number of infections, while far more patients were being harmed by a lack of donors.

The New York Times

It is shown by numerical examples that this method provides highly accurate results with a small number of nodes while avoiding numerical problems and instabilities.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

For instance, on Thursday, IFC — which puts movies in a small number of theaters while adding them to its on-demand service — bought rights to "In the Loop," a British political farce.

The New York Times

By the early 21st century, rural areas of Missouri had attracted many new production plants that employed a small number of workers, while the bulk of the manufacturing employment remained concentrated in the St .Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Family-specific variants can be found by sequencing a small number of individuals, while a large number of unrelated cases are needed to find common and rare variants.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

They are designed to reduce the number of variables to a small number of indices while attempting to preserve the relationships present in the original data.

Applied Water Science

The majority of users have a small number of contacts, while a tiny fraction of nodes are hubs, or super-connectors.

EPJ Data Science

It's worth noting that targeting involves a spectrum highly targeted content is extremely relevant to a small number of people, while loosely targeted content is fleetingly relevant to a large number of people.

Forbes

Despite this achievement, the current generation of drugs helps only a small number of patients, while most of the drugs fail to cause the immune system to attack the tumor, researchers said.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, replace "a small number while" with more precise alternatives like "a few during" or "a limited quantity as" to ensure grammatical correctness and improved readability.

Common error

Avoid using "a small number while" as it creates a grammatically unsound connection between quantity and time. Instead, use phrases that clearly link the limited quantity with the ongoing action or state, such as "a few during" or "a small quantity as".

Linguistic Context

The phrase is intended to function as a conjunction, linking a limited quantity with a concurrent event. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the grammatical structure is weak. Example: "A small number of users visit website weekly, while other users visit daily".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

27%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a small number while" is grammatically questionable and infrequently used. Ludwig AI underlines that the phrase is not entirely correct and lacks clear meaning in written English. While it attempts to link a limited quantity with a concurrent event, its construction is awkward. To improve clarity, it's recommended to use alternatives such as "a few during" or "a limited quantity as". The usage context spans across Science, News & Media and Formal & Business settings, but because of grammatical issues is preferable to use more professional wording.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Just a few as

Uses "just a few" to convey a small quantity and "as" instead of "while", indicating simultaneous action.

A few during

Replaces "small number" with "few" and "while" with "during", focusing on a short duration.

Only a small amount as

Rephrases "small number" to "small amount" and replaces "while" with "as", emphasizing limited quantity happening simultaneously.

A limited quantity as

Uses "limited quantity" instead of "small number" and "as" in place of "while", emphasizing the restricted amount.

A select few when

Changes "small number" to "select few" and "while" to "when", suggesting a chosen group at a specific time.

A handful during the time

Substitutes "small number" with "handful" and specifies "during the time" instead of "while", indicating a brief period.

A trickle as

Replaces "small number" with "trickle" for a very small flow or quantity and "while" with "as", showing concurrent action.

A fraction when

Employs "fraction" to represent a small amount and "when" in lieu of "while", highlighting a point in time.

A minority as

Replaces "small number" with "minority" and "while" with "as", stressing the lower proportion.

A smattering when

Substitutes "small number" with "smattering" and "while" with "when", implying a sparse distribution at a given time.

FAQs

How can I use "a small number" in a sentence?

You can use "a small number" to indicate a limited quantity of something. For example: "A small number of students attended the lecture.

What can I say instead of "a small number while"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "a few during", "a limited quantity as", or "just a few as" to more clearly express the intended meaning.

Is "a small number while" grammatically correct?

The phrase "a small number while" is generally considered grammatically awkward. It's better to use more explicit conjunctions or prepositions to connect the ideas of quantity and time or circumstance.

How does the meaning change when I replace "a small number while" with "a few during"?

Replacing "a small number while" with "a few during" shifts the focus to a specific, limited duration during which something occurs, improving grammatical clarity.