few ft away

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "few ft away" is not entirely correct in written English; it should be "a few feet away." You can use it to describe a distance from a specific point or object.
Example: "The dog was resting a few feet away from its owner in the park."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

"If you're ever lonely or bored, or just miss my wonderful self (haha), well the phone is just a few ft. away and so am I," she wrote in a five-page letter to Irv that she left for him on the kitchen counter before he drove her to college.

The New Yorker

Just drop a ball into the funnel and after a few seconds it launches it either 10ft, 20ft or 30 ft away.

Independent

The ADS was claimed to be able to deter enemy personnel more than 500 m (1,640 ft) away.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The first substrate was kept 1 ft away from the mound, the second 2 ft away and the third 3 ft away.

Bioresources and Bioprocessing

The farthest a substrate was placed was 14 ft away from the mound.

Bioresources and Bioprocessing

Strap a GoPro to it, and it automatically records whatever you're doing at the end of its tether while automatically hovering between 1 ft and 26 ft away.

TechCrunch

The ten wells in the southern and northern countries are drilled 7,360 and 2,112 ft away from the borderline, respectively.

Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology

The frame was kept perpendicularly at the fixed distance of 12 ft away from the muzzle of the weapon.

Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences

If you need to start off at 50 ft away, start off at 50 ft away.

Huffington Post

My mom repeatedly panics & asks where my daughter is (she's 10 ft away).

Huffington Post

Faeces are usually deposited 20 metres (65.6 ft) away from the den, though they urinate wherever they happen to be.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Include the article "a" before "few" to ensure grammatical correctness: "a few feet away".

Common error

Omitting the article "a" before "few" can make your writing sound informal or incorrect. Always include it for grammatical accuracy: "a few feet away" is correct, while "few feet away" is not.

Linguistic Context

The phrase primarily functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb by indicating distance. However, the original query lacks the necessary article and full word, making it grammatically questionable. As Ludwig AI points out, it requires grammatical correction.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "few ft away" is an informal and grammatically questionable way to express a short distance. While understandable, it's better to use ""a few feet away"" for grammatical correctness and clarity, as suggested by Ludwig. The use of "ft" is suitable for informal contexts, but spelling out "feet" is preferred in formal writing. As the Ludwig AI indicates, using the full word provides more clarity. Consider alternatives like "nearby" or "a short distance away" to convey proximity without sacrificing precision or formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a few feet away

Adds the indefinite article 'a' and spells out 'feet', making it grammatically correct.

a couple of feet away

Uses 'couple' instead of 'few' for a slightly less precise quantity.

a short distance away

Replaces the specific measurement with a general indication of proximity.

nearby

Simplifies the phrase to a single word indicating close proximity.

in close proximity

Uses more formal language to describe the nearness of something.

in the immediate vicinity

Uses formal language to express location in the surrounding area.

within a few steps

Substitutes a measure of walking distance for a unit of length.

just over there

Indicates the direction and nearness without any precise measurement.

within arm's reach

Specifies a distance limited by the length of an arm.

a stone's throw away

Employs an idiomatic expression for a short, easily achievable distance.

FAQs

How do I properly use "few ft away" in a sentence?

While "few ft away" is understandable, it is grammatically incorrect. Use "a few feet away" instead. For example: "The chair was "a few feet away" from the table".

What can I say instead of "few ft away"?

Alternatives include "a short distance away", "nearby", or "in close proximity", depending on the context.

Is "few ft away" grammatically correct?

No, "few ft away" is not grammatically correct. The correct way to express this is ""a few feet away"". Using the abbreviation "ft" is informal, and omitting the article "a" makes the phrase grammatically unsound.

How formal is the phrase "few ft away"?

The phrase "few ft away" is considered informal due to the use of the abbreviation "ft" and the missing article "a". In formal writing, it's better to use ""a few feet away"" or other more formal alternatives.