there were few instances

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "there were few instances" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that only a small number of occurrences or examples exist in a particular context. Example: "In the study, there were few instances of participants reporting adverse effects from the medication."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

As we used official records there were few instances of missing data (<4%).

British Medical Journal

There were few instances of the violence that has blemished previous celebrations.

The New York Times

The Vatican responded that there were few instances of abuse and most were confined to small area.

The New York Times

In the whole history of Auschwitz, it said, there were few instances of SS members refusing to carry out orders and no documented instance of any guard being punished for refusing to carry out mass murder.

The New York Times

Despite mostly large home ranges, tracked animals were loyal to publicly-owned tenure and there were few instances where individuals moved large distances on to adjacent private tenure.

Forest Ecology and Management

After studying operations in greater detail (e.g., communications patterns, transactions, and security), the authors conclude that drug trafficking more closely resembled a cottage industry of small, somewhat temporary sets of people, and that there were few instances of large, hierarchically-organized distribution networks.

Crime Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

When these locations were excluded the resulting model had better agreement with the FIA data because there were fewer instances where biomass was predicted in the FIA plot but there was no biomass measured (R2 = 0.59, RMSE = 82.4 Mg/ha, slope = 1.1; compare with Figure 2a).

Carbon Balance and Management

While there were fewer instances of negative framing of cycling, all negative framings, except risk to cyclists, were also found to be increasing.

BMC Public Health

There were fewer instances where race/ethnicity and/or insurance status were significantly associated with rates of acceptance, with the general trend toward more willingness to accept treatment for minority and Medicaid or uninsured women.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

When these locations were excluded the resulting model had better agreement with the FIA data because there were fewer instances where biomass was predicted in the FIA plot but there was no biomass measured (R = 0.59, RMSE = 82.4 Mg/ha, slope = 1.1; compare with Figure  2a).

Carbon Balance and Management

It should be noted, however, that there were fewer instances of manner verbs being used in combination with prepositional phrases than expected, because of the tendency of speakers with aphasia to either use verbs without prepositions, or to use verbs with no manner semantics (e.g. "go") alongside prepositions.

Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "there were few instances", ensure the context clearly defines what constitutes an 'instance'. This provides clarity and avoids ambiguity for the reader.

Common error

Avoid confusing "there were few instances" with "there were a few instances". The former indicates a small number, almost negligible, while the latter suggests a small but significant number. Using the wrong phrase can alter the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "there were few instances" functions as an existential clause that asserts the limited existence or occurrence of something. Ludwig AI shows its use across various contexts, indicating its versatility in written and spoken English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "there were few instances" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression to indicate that something occurred a limited number of times. Ludwig AI confirms its applicability across diverse contexts, especially in scientific and news media. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by defining what constitutes an 'instance' in your context and avoiding confusion with "there were a few instances", which implies a slightly more significant quantity. Remember that, while widely accepted, alternative phrasing like "instances were rare" may offer a more formal tone depending on the context. Overall, "there were few instances" is a useful tool for conveying scarcity or infrequency in a clear and concise manner.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

instances were limited

Uses the adjective 'limited' to describe the quantity of instances.

occurrences were rare

Replaces 'instances' with 'occurrences' and 'few' with 'rare' to emphasize scarcity.

only a few instances existed

Emphasizes the limited existence of the instances.

instances were infrequent

Reorders the sentence structure and uses the adjective 'infrequent' instead of 'few instances'.

instances were minimal

Uses 'minimal' to indicate the very low number of instances.

not many instances were observed

Focuses on the observation of instances and their limited number.

a small number of instances happened

Rephrases the sentence to highlight the small quantity of instances.

instances were not common

Uses a negative construction to convey the lack of commonality of the instances.

scarcely any instances took place

Emphasizes the scarcity using 'scarcely any' and 'took place' for a more formal tone.

instances were atypical

Indicates that the few instances were more the exception than the rule.

FAQs

How can I use "there were few instances" in a sentence?

Use "there were few instances" to indicate that something happened only a small number of times. For example, "There were few instances of errors in the report".

What can I say instead of "there were few instances"?

You can use alternatives like "instances were rare", "occurrences were infrequent", or "instances were limited" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "there were few instances" and "there were many instances"?

"There were few instances" indicates that something happened a small number of times, whereas "there were many instances" indicates that something happened a large number of times. They are direct opposites.

Is it more formal to say "there were few instances" or "instances were rare"?

While both are acceptable, "instances were rare" can be perceived as slightly more formal due to the use of 'rare' over 'few'. The level of formality depends heavily on the surrounding context.