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ESL forum > Ask for help > Please Help me ........... I am confused about .............    

Please Help me ........... I am confused about .............



miss noor
Palestine

Please Help me ........... I am confused about .............
 
hi ,
 
I have a question please help me
 
 
 
 
Why this phrase is correct    a few questions
 
 
 
 
questions is   plural 
so why there is article   a
 
 

15 Mar 2009      





gioel
Chile

because you�re refering to a quantity as a whole thing not to a number of questions

15 Mar 2009     



helena2009
Hungary

few (SOME)  
determiner, pronoun

1 a few (some, or a small number of something)
I need to get a few things in town.
There are a few cakes left over from the party.
We �ve been having a few problems with the new computer.
If you can �t fit all the cases in your car, I can take a few in mine.
"How many potatoes do you want?" "Oh, just a few, please."
NOTE: a few is used with countable nouns.
 
2 few (NOT MANY)
determiner, pronoun, noun, adjective
a small number, not many or not enough:
It was embarrassing how few people attended the party.
He is among the few people I can trust.
Very few people can afford to pay those prices.
We leave for France in a few days.
Few of the children can read or write yet.
Few things in this world give me more pleasure than a long bath.
Fewer people smoke these days than used to.
We get few complaints.
According to the survey, as few as 10% of us are happy with our jobs.
The benefits of this scheme are few.
NOTE: few is used with countable nouns.
 
LOOK at this:
 
A few  expresses a positive idea. It  indicates that something exists or is present.

Although she has been here only two weeks, she has already made a few friends.

This is a positive idea. She has made some friends.

 

Few  gives a negative idea; they indicate that something is largely absent.

I feel sorry for her. She has few friends.

Negative idea: She does not have many friends; she has almost no friends.

 
 
 
 

15 Mar 2009     



adina popa
Romania

hi, there!
a few is a quantity word,meaning a small number of
a few can be used in front of countable nouns(questions is a countable noun)because it is a determiner: eg. We �re expecting a few friends round to dinner.
                         would you mind waiting a few moments?

15 Mar 2009     



decspec
Argentina

"a few" is the same as "some". This expression is used with plural countable nouns (such as "questions"). "few" also exists, but it has a negative meaning: "few questions" is the same as "not many questions". The same happens with "little" and "a little". I hope you find my explanation clear and useful! Kisses Paula

15 Mar 2009     



miss noor
Palestine

thank you very much
 
 
 
i am confused with is rule
 
 
He is a keen manager
They are keen mangers
 
 
No article in the second one because the noun is plural

15 Mar 2009     



miss noor
Palestine

thank you very much
 
 
 
i am confused with is rule
 
 
He is a keen manager
They are keen mangers
 
 
No article in the second one because the noun is plural

15 Mar 2009     



miss noor
Palestine

thank you very much
 
 
 
i am confused with is rule
 
 
He is a keen manager
They are keen mangers
 
 
No article in the second one because the noun is plural

15 Mar 2009     



Silvy_E
United States

The verb must agree with the noun sing-sing plural-plural. Keen is not a noun.
I don �t know if that �s your question.
 
Bye now,
 
S

15 Mar 2009     



HARIM
Morocco

We never use an indifinite article before plurals.
 
But in your sentence,the article modifies the quantifier"few" not the noun"questions"
cheers

15 Mar 2009