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