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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Few use
Why can we add few to the first example but not to the second?
What few friends he has have left the party.
*What few friends he has is hard to tell.
What few friends he has have left the party.
*What few friends he has is hard to tell.
Top answer
The difference is the use of the being verb in the second example. In the first example, "friends" is the subject of the sentence. " " How few friends he has is hard to tell" works fine.
- The difference is the use of the being verb in the second example.
- In the first example, "friends" is the subject of the sentence.
- " " How few friends he has is hard to tell" works fine.
- ) I'd say that in this case, the whole clause "he has how few friends" is the subject of the sentence.
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1 Answers
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The difference is the use of the being verb in the second example.
In the first example, "friends" is the subject of the sentence. "His few friends left."
It's not actually the "few" that doesn't work in the second one, but the "what."
"How few friends he has is hard to tell" works fine. (It's the measure, "how few" that's ha
In the first example, "friends" is the subject of the sentence. "His few friends left."
It's not actually the "few" that doesn't work in the second one, but the "what."
"How few friends he has is hard to tell" works fine. (It's the measure, "how few" that's ha
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