"there were a few of us" vs "there was a few of us"

Question

"there were a few of us" vs "there was a few of us"

The correct phrase is 'there were a few of us.' In this case, 'few' is used as a determiner, and the verb 'were' should agree with the plural noun 'few.' 'There was a few of us' is incorrect because 'was' should be used with singular nouns, not with 'few,' which is plural.

Last Updated: March 20, 2024

Correct. 'Were' is the correct verb to use with the plural noun 'few.'

Examples:

There were a few of us at the party.
There were a few of us who disagreed with the decision.
There were a few of us waiting for the bus.
There were a few of us who wanted to go to the concert.
There were a few of us who knew the answer.

Alternatives:

there was a group of us
there was a small group of us
there were only a few of us
there were just a few of us

Incorrect. 'Was' should not be used with 'few' as it is a plural noun. Instead, 'were' should be used to agree with the plural noun 'few.'

Alternatives:

there were a few of us
there was a group of us
there was a small group of us
there were only a few of us
there were just a few of us

Answer 1

there were a few of us

This phrase is correct. 'Were' agrees with the plural noun 'few.'

Answer 2

there was a few of us

This phrase is incorrect. 'Was' should be used with singular nouns, not with 'few,' which is plural.

"there were a few of us" vs "there was a few of us"

there were a few of us

there was a few of us

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