me and my fella are having a petty argument as to how many are involved in each! i say a few is 2 and several is 5 or 6! He say a few is 3 or 4 and several is 7+! im right he is wrong! your thoughts please or factual knowledge!!!
2007-07-30 14:58:32 · 21 answers · asked by PInky without perky!! 4 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Polls & Surveys
a few is 3 and several is 7 or more, least that's what I always thought
2007-07-30 15:00:46 · answer #1 · answered by Ipecac 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
These terms are intentionally vague - you use them when you are not sure how many, and it's not important to be precise.
Therefore it's not possible to be "factually correct" about them.
However I would say a "few" is 3 or 4, coz if it were 2 you would say two! (How long does it take to count to 2, after all?!)
So your bf is right about that, but wrong about "several":
In my opinion, "several" means somewhere between 3 and 6........ Think of it in context: you would expect "I'll be away for several days" to mean 3 or 4 days, maybe one or two more. If you meant a week or more, you'd say so.
Similarly if you were talking about a recipe for stew, "several onions" is unlikely to mean more than 5, don't you think?
Or, "I rang you several times" is unlikely to mean more than 4 or 5 times............
BTW I think your bf is pulling your chain, coz he likes to rile you up! xx
2007-07-31 00:02:50 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a few cannot be two as two is a couple. A few is normally 3 or 4 and several is any number after that until it gets to loads. Then you have to decide what is what depending on what it is you're talking about as for example a few grapes generally would be more than a few people, u get me?
2007-07-30 22:38:32 · answer #3 · answered by angi zefi 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A few is up to 5 or 6
Several is from 7
Maybe it's in the similarity of words: seven, several; five, few.
So, as for many? From 10 onwards maybe, but I reckon all this depends on individual interpretation.
2007-07-30 22:15:30 · answer #4 · answered by Zheia 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No lol your wrong A few is 3. A couple is 2. And then several Is i guess 6 and up. Lol ya.
2007-07-30 22:01:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
A single is one.
A couple is two.
Several means "at least three, possibly more.
A "few" is a relative term. Think of it as a ratio by comparison to the total number of anything in question.
Compared to a crowd of thousands, one hundred is a few.
Compared to a group of twenty, three is a few.
Compared to the trillions of stars in a universe, few have the conditions that can support life and its ability to conceive questions like these!;-)
2007-07-30 22:26:16 · answer #6 · answered by Dr. Trevor 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I say few is 3 or 4 and several is more than that (ex. 6).
2007-07-30 22:01:29 · answer #7 · answered by ♥Dreams♥ 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
a few is 2 , several is 3 or more
2007-07-30 22:01:05 · answer #8 · answered by TopContributorModerator 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Few is less than 3 and several is 3 or more
2007-07-30 22:03:43 · answer #9 · answered by ><>JHF<>< 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
A couple of two, a troublesome of three, an even no. for four,& several groups of five, a triplets of six, & several organization of seven & above, & the rest is for you to use counter to count & add, subtract, divide, &multiply facts & figures to go to a conclusion.Sorry, this is just a hypothetical logic of my own interpretation.(I'm not good in math)
2007-07-31 01:00:30 · answer #10 · answered by shines56 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋