Question about 'several'

[learning54]

Hi Teachers,
The quantity word 'several' can be used as follow. Right?

There were several reporters.
Were there several reporters? Yes, they were./ No they weren't.

I mean 'several' can be used in affirmative and yes/ no questions, can't it? But it can't be used in negative sentences, can it?

Thanks a lot

[5jj]

Because of its meaning 'several' is not commonly used in:

questions: We are far more likely to ask if there were 'any/many' reporters than 'several', which would suggest had some idea of the answer.
negatives: Here too, we are more likely to say that there weren't 'any/many' reporters. 'Several' would seem to call for a contrast - 'There weren't several reporters, as you claimed, but there were a couple'.

[learning54]

Because of its meaning 'several' is not commonly used in:

questions: We are far more likely to ask if there were 'any/many' reporters than 'several', which would suggest had some idea of the answer.
negatives: Here too, we are more likely to say that there weren't 'any/many' reporters. 'Several' would seem to call for a contrast - 'There weren't several reporters, as you claimed, but there were a couple'.

Hi,
Thank you so much for your reply. I understand it very well now.

Best,
Learning