I came upon this sentence yesterday which reads:-
Is this grammatically correct ? Or should I say "Here are a few steps.." ?Quote:
Here's a few steps of ...
Thanks
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I came upon this sentence yesterday which reads:-
Is this grammatically correct ? Or should I say "Here are a few steps.." ?Quote:
Here's a few steps of ...
Thanks
[quote="xanana"]I came upon this sentence yesterday which reads:-
Quote:
Here's a few steps of ...
No, but it is a form which is becoming increasingly more common. People who would never say "Here is a few steps of..." will say "Here's a few steps of...." It is not really a contraction for anything, although it appears to be. It is something that, in my opinion, comes from laziness. :(Quote:
Is this grammatically correct?
Yes. Please do. :)Quote:
Or should I say "Here are a few steps.."?
8)
RonBee,
OK. So it's grammatically incorrect. When you say that it's now commonly acceptable; would I be penalized in an academic setting ?Quote:
It is not really a contraction for anything, although it appears to be.
So the fact that this is legit is because "a few steps" should be the thing that's being quantified rather than "a few" which is singular ?Quote:
Or should I say "Here are a few steps.."?
Thanks
I'm not really sure what you mean by that. In any case, I don't think I would be qualified to comment on that.Quote:
Originally Posted by xanana
I am not really sure what you mean. You can quantify steps but not a few steps. Also, you can't quantify a few, because it is not a noun. Instead, it is an adjective indicating an indefinite quantity of something.Quote:
So the fact that this is legit is because "a few steps" should be the thing that's being quantified rather than "a few" which is singular ?
I hope that helps.
8)
RonBee,
Thus, a few books is similar to some books. There is definitely more than one book (although the exact quantity is unknown); which then implies that Here are a few books is recommended over Here is a few books. I think I get it now.Quote:
You can quantify steps but not a few steps. Also, you can't quantify a few, because it is not a noun. Instead, it is an adjective indicating an indefinite quantity of something
Thanks
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonBee
In response to your first sentence: yes! :) In response to your last sentence: I think you're right. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by xanana
8)
Regards,
RonBee
'Here's a few' is colloquial and should definitely not be used in an academic context. I would say that it's OK in spoken language (it is very common in London, where I live), but I wouldn't recommend its use in written language. :D