few knowledge of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "few knowledge of" is not correct in English.
The correct expression should be "little knowledge of." You can use it when referring to a small amount of understanding or information about a particular subject. Example: "She has little knowledge of the topic, so she will need to do some research before the meeting."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

There is few knowledge of the impact of the acceleration forces upon the deposit properties at continuous and mesoscopic scales.

Electrochimica Acta

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

In the last few decades, knowledge of the vascular anatomy has increased, and new flaps and surgical methods for the management of small to medium-sized skin defects have been developed.

Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

For the most abundant particle sizes smaller than a few millimetres, knowledge of the populations can only be gained from in situ detectors or the analysis of retrieved space hardware.

Advances in Space Research

Still, and with few exceptions, knowledge of breast cancer genetics -- information on cancer-causing mutations in the malignant cells -- has lagged.

Huffington Post

Very few had knowledge of glaucoma as a disease of eye pressure.

BMC Ophthalmology

Over the past few years, knowledge of the upstream pathways regulating p53 activity has increased greatly and numerous transcriptional targets for p53 have been described.

Breast Cancer Research

They were people of few expectations or knowledge of the outside world.

The Guardian - Opinion

Few have firsthand knowledge of the final moments of that story other than the people of Kea, who sped out in fishing boats to rescue the 1,036 doctors, nurses and crew hit by the disaster.

The Guardian

Yet they're also an entrepreneurial hotbed and few people's knowledge of running a business from a common or garden shed can compare to Alex Johnson, journalist and author of Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution.

The Guardian

Fourteen year olds starting daily cannabis use do not agonise over its exact classification; many do not even think it is a drug and few have any knowledge of its hazards.

The Guardian - Opinion

Even for the few prominent species, knowledge of response to perturbation is skimpy.

Forest Ecosystems

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you want to indicate a small amount of knowledge, use the phrase "little knowledge of" instead of "few knowledge of". For example, say "She has little knowledge of the subject" instead of the incorrect "She has few knowledge of the subject".

Common error

A common mistake is using "few" instead of "little" to describe a small quantity of something uncountable like knowledge. "Few" is used with countable items (e.g., "few books"), while "little" is used with uncountable items (e.g., "little knowledge").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "few knowledge of" is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI indicates that the correct form is "little knowledge of". As knowledge is an uncountable noun, the quantifier "few" is inappropriate; "little" should be used instead.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "few knowledge of" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "little knowledge of". Ludwig AI highlights this error, emphasizing that "few" is for countable nouns and "little" for uncountable nouns like knowledge. While the intent is to express a limited understanding, using the correct grammar is crucial for clear and effective communication. Alternatives such as "limited knowledge of" or "scant knowledge of" are also suitable. Remember to use "little" with uncountable nouns to avoid grammatical errors.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

little knowledge of

Replaces "few" with "little", correcting the grammatical error while maintaining the meaning of limited understanding.

limited understanding of

Substitutes "knowledge" with "understanding" and uses "limited" instead of "few", providing a grammatically sound alternative.

scant awareness of

Replaces "knowledge" with "awareness" and uses "scant" for "few", emphasizing a minimal level of recognition.

superficial grasp of

Indicates a shallow level of comprehension, replacing "knowledge" with "grasp" and using "superficial" to denote its quality.

rudimentary understanding of

Suggests a basic level of knowledge, replacing "few" with "rudimentary" to specify the elementary nature of the understanding.

basic familiarity with

Implies a minimal level of acquaintance, shifting the focus from deep knowledge to initial exposure.

slight acquaintance with

Highlights a casual and not very detailed level of understanding, using "acquaintance" to suggest familiarity.

minimal exposure to

Emphasizes the limited contact or experience with a subject, rather than intrinsic knowledge.

restricted insight into

Implies a limited ability to perceive or understand the inner nature of something.

inadequate comprehension of

Suggests that the level of understanding is not sufficient or satisfactory.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say someone doesn't know much about something?

The correct phrase is "little knowledge of". For example, "He has "little knowledge of" astrophysics" is correct. Using "few knowledge of" is grammatically incorrect.

Can I use "few" to talk about knowledge?

No, "few" is used for countable nouns, while knowledge is an uncountable noun. Use "little" instead. "Few books" is correct because books are countable, but "little knowledge" is the correct way to express a small amount of knowledge.

What are some alternatives to saying "few knowledge of"?

Since "few knowledge of" is incorrect, use phrases like "limited knowledge of", "scant knowledge of", or simply ""little knowledge of"" to convey a lack of understanding.

How does "little knowledge of" differ from "some knowledge of"?

"Little knowledge of" suggests a minimal amount of understanding or information, while "some knowledge of" indicates there is at least a basic level of understanding. They are nearly opposite in meaning.