| No | Pattern | Freq | Relations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | be only a few [noun pl] | 218 |
|
| 2 | [was/were] only a few [noun pl] | 93 |
|
| 3 | [is] only a few [noun pl] | 61 |
|
| 4 | was only a few [noun pl] | 60 |
|
| 5 | [am/are] only a few [noun pl] | 41 |
|
| 6 | are only a few [noun pl] | 40 |
|
| 7 | is only a few [noun pl] | 35 |
|
| 8 | were only a few [noun pl] | 33 |
|
| 9 | 's only a few [noun pl] | 26 |
|
| 10 | [be] only a few miles | 25 |
|
| 11 | [be] only a few minutes | 25 |
|
| 12 | be only a few [noun pl] | 13 |
|
| 13 | [be] only a few [noun pl] | 13 |
|
| 14 | [be] only a few yards | 12 |
|
| 15 | [be] only a few feet | 10 |
|
| 16 | [be] only a few inches | 9 |
|
| 17 | [be] only a few months | 9 |
|
| 18 | [be] only a few years | 9 |
|
| 19 | [be] only a few hours | 8 |
|
| 20 | [be] only a few days | 8 |
|
| 21 | [being] only a few [noun pl] | 6 |
|
| 22 | being only a few [noun pl] | 6 |
|
| 23 | [be] only a few weeks | 6 |
|
| 24 | [be] only a few millimetres | 5 |
|
| 25 | [be] only a few metres | 5 |
|
