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What is Several in English? The most common usages of Several in English

What is Several in English? This is quite a common vocabulary in English, but do you fully understand how to use Several and what comes after Several? In today's article, PREP will help you understand more deeply the definition and the most common uses of Several in English. Check it out!

I. What is Several in English?

What is Several in English? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Several functions as determiner, pronoun, and adjective in English sentences. For example:

Several functions as a determiner, meaning: some; an amount that is not exact but is fewer than many. For example: We have seen that film several times.
Several functions as an adjective, meaning: separate or different; (of an amount or number) more than two and fewer than many; some. For example: We are striving to reach an agreement which will satisfy the several interests of the parties concerned.
Several functions as a pronoun, meaning: some of the people or things. For example: Several in the building have complained about the fumes.

II. Words/phrases often associated with Several in English

What are the phrases often associated with Several in English? Let's explore together below to understand the meaning and examples of Severa in Englishl!

Words/ phrases often associated with Several in English	Meaning	Example
joint and several liability	a situation where each of the people or organizations in a group is responsible, as a group and separately, for paying a debt, paying for damage that has been caused, etc.	The judge applied the rule of joint and several liabilities, and ordered the car manufacturer to pay 100% of the damages, as the driver could not pay his 90% share.
have several irons in the fire	to be involved with many activities or jobs at the same time or to make certain that there are always several possibilities available	If that job application doesn't work out I've got several irons in the fire.

III. The most common usages of Several in English

What is the most common use of Several in English? Let's explore with PREP through the illustrative examples below!

1. Several is a determiner

What is Several? Several functions as a determiner, meaning: some; an amount that is not exact but is fewer than many. Several is often accompanied by the preposition "of". For example:

Several attendants have complained about the poor lecture.
Several of my friends decided to study abroad after high school graduation.

2. Several is an adjective

What is Several? Several functions as an adjective in the sentence, meaning: separate or different. For example:

Each room in this restaurant meets several customer’s needs.
Our plan is to get several animal habits.

3. Several is a pronoun

What is Several? Several functions as a pronoun, meaning: some of the people or things. For example:

Several in the class are taking the speaking test.
Several in my company graduated from Nottingham Trent University.

IV. Distinguishing between Several and Several of

Several and Several of seem similar but when using them, we can recognize the difference. Let's explore with PREP to distinguish between Several of and Several!

Similarities: Both Several and Several of are ways to express an imprecise number of people or things.

Differences:

Several

Several of

Usage

Several is an adjective, commonly used before a noun to refer to a small quantity.

Several of is a phrase commonly used after a noun to refer to a group within a totality.

Example

Jennie has several books on her shelf.

➞ In this case, several directly precedes the noun "books" to indicate that the number of books Jennie has on her shelf is not many.

Jennie has several of the books on her shelf.

➞ In this case, several of precedes the noun "books" to indicate that among all the books on the shelf, some books belong to her ➞ emphasizing a specific group of objects which are Jennie's books within the total number of all books on the shelf.

V. Distinguishing Several, Few, A few, Little, A little, and Some

Next, Several is also often confused with other determiners such as: Few, a few, little, a little, or some. So what is the difference between these words and Several? Let's read the table below!

Similarities: Several, Few, a few, little, a little, and some are all determiners in English.

Differences:

	Meaning	Usage	Example
Several	An amount that is not exact but is fewer than many	Go with plural countable nouns.	I have several friends from different countries.
Some	An amount or number of something that is not stated or not known; a part of something	Go with both countable and uncountable nouns.	I have some chocolate in the cupboard.
Few	Not as much as may be expected or wished for	Go with plural countable nouns.	There seems to be fewer tourists around this year.
A few	A small number of something	Go with plural countable nouns.	I have a few friends coming over for dinner tonight.
Little	Not as much as may be expected or wished for	Go with uncountable nouns.	There is little hope of finding the lost treasure.
A little	A small amount of something	Go with uncountable nouns.	Add a little sugar to the tea to make it sweeter.

VI. Exercise on Several in English with answers

What is Several? To fully grasp the theoretical part, we need to do exercises. Below, PREP has provided you with two exercises about Several. Check it out!

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer:

There are _______ apples in the basket.
1. Little
2. A little
3. Several
I have very _______ friends who enjoy hiking.
1. Several
2. Little
3. Few
I have _______ books that I haven't read yet.
1. Little
2. Much
3. A few
I have _______ patience for rude people.
1. A few
2. Little
3. Few
Can I have _______ sugar in my coffee, please?[
1. Many
2. Much
3. A little
Can you please give me _______ advice on how to start a business?
1. Some
2. Much
3. Many
There are _______ cars parked in front of the mall.
1. A little
2. Many
3. Much
She didn't have _______ time to complete the project.
1. Many
2. Few
3. Much

Exercise 2: Find and correct errors in the following sentences with given words: Few, a few, little, a little, several. Each word can only be used once.

There are little students absent from school today.
Unfortunately, very much people attended the meeting.
I have a little dollars in my wallet.
He has many experience in cooking.
Can you add many more salt to the soup?

2. Answer

Exercise 1	Exercise 2
C C C B C A B C	little ➞ several much ➞ few a little ➞ a few many ➞ little many ➞ a little

PREP hopes that through the article above, you have understood the definition of Several in English along with its common usages. If there are any questions, feel free to leave comments and PREP will respond as soon as possible. Wish you all the best!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.