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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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few stuff

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "few stuff" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression should be "a few things" or "some stuff" instead. Example: "I have a few things to discuss with you regarding the project."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

A few $1,000 tickets are still unsold.

News & Media

The New York Times

A few $100 tickets are still available.

News & Media

The New York Times

Throw in a few hundreds of millions of dollars more for television advertising.

News & Media

The Economist

(A few $2,100-a-month studios are still available).

News & Media

The New York Times

We show that our parallel granular solver is able to compute systems with up to a few hundreds of millions of particles.

There were very few $5 deposits; the average was $70, and half a dozen $20,000 ones.

News & Media

The New Yorker

Here are just a few: $8 gasoline will doom most United States airlines.

News & Media

The New York Times

He assumed that there was no amount of mayhem that a few $100 bills couldn't fix.

News & Media

The New York Times

The United States initially responded to the $350 million Japanese effort with a few $3 million research grants to pursue new supercomputing architectures.

The difference between Einstein's predictions and Newton's is in the region of one part in a few trillion.

Even with a few $7 hits as they visit the doctor, that's not much more than a graze.

News & Media

The Guardian
Show more...

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "few" with non-countable nouns like "stuff". Use "a few" with countable nouns (e.g., "a few things") or "some" with non-countable nouns (e.g., "some stuff") instead.

Common error

Don't pair "few" with non-countable nouns. "Few" indicates a limited number of items that can be counted. Instead, use "little" or "some" with non-countable nouns, or rephrase to use countable nouns.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

60%

Authority and reliability

1.2/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "few stuff" is grammatically incorrect. While "few" indicates a small quantity, it is exclusively used with countable nouns. "Stuff" is an uncountable noun. As Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is not correct in standard written English.

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

In summary, the phrase "few stuff" is grammatically incorrect because "few" is used with countable nouns, while "stuff" is uncountable. As pointed out by Ludwig AI, the correct alternatives are "a few things" (using a countable noun) or "some stuff" (using a quantifier appropriate for uncountable nouns). Therefore, when aiming to indicate a small quantity of "stuff", ensure you use the correct grammatical structure to effectively convey your intended meaning.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "few stuff"?

The correct way to express a small quantity of "stuff" is to say "some stuff" or "a little stuff". The word "few" is used with countable nouns, not non-countable nouns like "stuff".

Can I use "few" with uncountable nouns?

No, "few" should only be used with countable nouns. For uncountable nouns, use "little" or "much" instead.

What is the difference between "few" and "little"?

"Few" is used to describe a small number of countable items, while "little" is used to describe a small amount of something uncountable. Therefore, saying "few things" is correct, whereas "few stuff" is not.

What are some alternatives to "few stuff"?

Instead of "few stuff", consider using phrases like "some items", "a small amount of stuff", or "not much stuff" to convey a similar meaning.

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