for few sectors

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "for few sectors" is not correct in standard written English.
It should be "for a few sectors" to indicate a small number of sectors. Example: "The new policy will be beneficial for a few sectors of the economy, particularly technology and healthcare."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

European Journal of Health Economics

Forbes

The New York Times

The Guardian

Journal of Economic Structures

Energy Transitions

The Guardian - Opinion

The Economist

Vice

Independent

Harvard University

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Entitlements to services are clearly defined for few sectors (mainly outpatient specialist care); for hospital care the benefit catalogue is vague.

European Journal of Health Economics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Third, stock market valuations are not stretched, except for a few sectors in the U.S., Europe, U.K. and Japan that are getting investor attention.

Forbes

Job losses have occurred across a broad spectrum of the economy, not just in a few sectors; for example, hardly any of the rise in unemployment can be attributed to construction.

The New York Times

Brussels is planning to maintain the status quo in just a few sectors, for up to nine months, so that its member states can avoid the most disruptive consequences of the UK crashing out.

The Guardian

Summarizing, there are only few sectors for which the outcomes of the different methods show a difference in the range of 1.0-3.5 1.0-3.5 sectors are clear outliers in the boxplots of Figure 1).

Journal of Economic Structures

The sample generally runs from 1971 to 2015 for all countries although, as said, data are missing for some periods for some GCC countries in a few sectors.

Energy Transitions

So they ape each other, pass off what they are doing to what's left of the staff as the new wisdom – and pay themselves vast sums for wrecking one of the few sectors in which Britain leads the world.

The Guardian - Opinion

The work has been awarded to foreign subcontractors and their teams.Energy is one of the few sectors set for a construction boom in Britain, and is thus one arena where more of such grievances are likely to be fought out (the 2012 Olympics is another).

The Economist

Individual nations also leveled sanctions at Iran, and America led the way, eventually effectively closing all trade with Iran save for humanitarian aid and a few sectors like agricultural or medical technology.

Vice

Individual nations also levelled sanctions at Iran, and America led the way, eventually effectively closing all trade with Iran save for humanitarian aid and a few sectors like agricultural or medical technology.

Vice

The drug sector is constantly looking for 'add on value' companies and this is one of a few sectors I feel upbeat about".

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you intend to convey 'in a small number of sectors', prefer the grammatically correct and clearer phrase "in a few sectors" or, even better, alternatives like "in some sectors" or "in a limited number of sectors".

Common error

A common mistake is omitting the article 'a' before 'few'. Remember that 'few' requires 'a' to indicate 'some' or 'a small number'. Without 'a', 'few' implies almost none or not enough, which can change the meaning entirely.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "for few sectors" acts as a prepositional phrase, modifying a verb or noun by indicating scope or limitation. However, as Ludwig AI notes, it is grammatically incorrect and should be replaced with "for a few sectors" or a similar alternative.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Academia

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "for few sectors" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. Ludwig AI indicates it's more appropriate to use "for a few sectors" or alternative phrases such as "in some sectors" or "in a limited number of sectors" to convey the intended meaning of restriction or limited scope. Although the phrase appears across several sources, its grammatical incorrectness makes it non-standard. When writing or speaking, always ensure the inclusion of the article "a" for grammatical accuracy and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in a small number of sectors

Replaces "few" with a more explicit description of quantity, providing clarity.

in a limited number of sectors

Uses "limited" instead of "small", emphasizing restriction.

in select sectors

Replaces "few" with "select", emphasizing the chosen nature of the sectors.

in some sectors

Replaces "few" with "some", indicating an unspecified but limited number of sectors.

within certain sectors

Indicates that the focus is on specific, defined sectors.

across a handful of sectors

Uses a more informal and descriptive term, "handful", to indicate a small quantity.

in a minority of sectors

Explicitly states that the sectors represent a smaller portion of the whole.

in several sectors

Suggests more than just a couple sectors, but still a minority.

in restricted sectors

Emphasizes that the sectors are limited by external factors.

in a scattering of sectors

Implies sectors are sparsely distributed throughout the whole.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "for few sectors"?

The correct way to express the idea of "for few sectors" is to say "for a few sectors". The inclusion of the article "a" makes the phrase grammatically sound.

What does "for a few sectors" mean?

The phrase "for a few sectors" indicates that something applies or is relevant to a small number of sectors within a larger group. It signifies a limited scope or application.

Are there alternatives to "for a few sectors"?

Yes, you can use alternatives such as "in some sectors", "in a small number of sectors", or "in select sectors" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is "for few sectors" grammatically correct?

No, "for few sectors" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is "for a few sectors". The omission of the article "a" makes the initial phrase non-standard.