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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

"a" or "an"

"for a only few hours" or "for an only few hours", which one is correct? Why?!
  

Top answer

Neither is correct. for only a few hours

— Ozzourti

  • Neither is correct.
  • for only a few hours
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11 Answers
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Neither is correct.


for only a few hours
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Hi ozzourti. I already know the first one is correct and may be better better than what you suggest. Try a google search. "for a only few hours": 919000 results, "for an only few hours" 1 result, and "for only a few hours" 391000 hits.
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Ozzourti is right.

for a only few hours is incorrect English.

Clive
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So why do they use "for a only few hours" in academic writings? I found examples written by British natives. Could you please do the google search? Searching for "for only a few hours" will result in comments on tour and hotel services, but searching for the one you mentioned is incorrect results in formal academic articles. thanks
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AnonymousSo why do they use "for a only few hours" in academic writings?
They don't. It is a typographical error if it occurs at all. Googling that erroneous phrase produces nothing but the correct one.
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Hello, Mr.Micawber.

Googling that erroneous phrase produces nothing but the correct one.
I'd like to know whether "nothing but" is a right phrase, not "anything but" in your context.
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park sang joonI'd like to know whether "nothing but" is a right phrase, not "anything but" in your context.
Yes.
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If you place the phrase in quotation marks, you will find 919000 results, exactly containing "for a only few hours". (do not search for for a only few hours, but search for "for a only few hours" (with quotation marks)) Thanks.
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Anonymoussearch for "for a only few hours" (with quotation marks)
That does produce a bewildering number of hits, the first few at least of which are obvious typographical errors, but it remains wrong grammar nevertheless. When in doubt, you should try such searches on a reputable corpus of the language. COCA for example produces no examples whatsoever of 'fo
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AnonymousIf you place the phrase in quotation marks, you will find 919000 results, exactly containing "for a only few hours". (do not search for for a only few hours, but search for "for a only few hours" (with quotation marks)) Thanks.
If you click on the last page near the bottom of your screen, you will quickly find out that there are in fact only 60–70 res
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