If only few people use a word,a dictionary will either tell you this or not list it.我想请教老师,这里的only few使用得对吗?我觉得only a few才是对的,因为few本来已经表示很少量了,再用only修饰会不会显得重复?烦劳老师解答,谢谢
刘老师:
If only few people use a word,a dictionary will either tell you this or not list it.这句话。
你对only a few的理解,跟这个句子中的only few不是一回事。
你说的only a few,only是修饰a few的,所以,only a few几乎就是否定含义了,相当于few。
而only few people中,only不是修饰few的,而是修饰people的,few也是修饰people。所以,only few people的意思为“仅仅极少人”(这个few同样是否定意味)。