only few vs only a few

[Freeguy]

Is the difference between 'only a few' and 'only few' only because of a grammar viewpoint? would you please tell me why we cannot say only few without 'a'?

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

You can say "few" without "a" but this will change the meaning.

Consider these sentences:

I have a few friends/a few of my friends = I have some friends/some of my friends.
I have few friends/few of my friends = I don't have many friends/not many of my friends.

Thus, "Only a few" means "only some" while, "only few" means "only a small number". In this sort of phrase you would often use "only very few".

 

[Freeguy]

No machine will work for 70 years or more, day and night, requiring only air, water, food and ...... simple rules.

What about this sentence? why do you say 'only a few' and not 'only few' ?

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

Because you can put "some" in the gap.

Not a teacher nor a native speaker.

 

[tzfujimino]

Hello.:-D
Please allow me to ask a question.

Is "No machine will work for 70 years or more, day and night, requiring only air, water, food and ...... simple rules" a natural English sentence?

I find it a little strange. (I don't really understand what it means.)

Thank you.

 

[Matthew Wai]

It may be less strange if "air, water, food" is replaced with "electricity, fuel, energy".

Not a teacher.

 

[Jaskin]

Hi,
Please note I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker;
It may be less strange if "No machine will work" is replace by "Humans live" or "human body work". It's a metaphor.


Cheers.

 

[Jaskin]

Hi,

No machine will work for 70 years or more, day and night, requiring only air, water, food and ...... simple rules.

What about this sentence? why do you say 'only a few' and not 'only few' ?

It's not grammar it's meaning in that sentence; it's more about what the author of that sentence intended to say.

Cheers.

 

[Matthew Wai]

It may be less strange if "No machine will work" is replace by "Humans live" or "human body work". It's a metaphor.

How about "No human will live"?

Not a teacher.

 

[Jaskin]

Hi,
Please note I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker,

How about "No human will live"?

Not really, I don't think it's the intended meaning of that sentence; as for me the sentence argues how robust and fuel-efficient is human/human body comparing to any machine hence the No machine [..].

Cheers.

 

[Matthew Wai]

"No machine will work for 70 years or more, day and night, requiring only air, water, food, but a human body will."
Do you mean that?

 

[tzfujimino]

I see.:-D
The sentence does make sense in the context of the comparison between humans and machines.
I think I got it. Thank you, Jaskin and Matthew.:-D