only few vs only a few

Is the difference between 'only a few' and 'only few' only because of a grammar viewpoint? would you please tell me why we cannot say only few without 'a'?

I am not a teacher.

You can say "few" without "a" but this will change the meaning.

Consider these sentences:

I have a few friends/a few of my friends = I have some friends/some of my friends.
I have few friends/few of my friends = I don't have many friends/not many of my friends.

Thus, "Only a few" means "only some" while, "only few" means "only a small number". In this sort of phrase you would often use "only very few".

No machine will work for 70 years or more, day and night, requiring only air, water, food and ...... simple rules.

What about this sentence? why do you say 'only a few' and not 'only few' ?

Because you can put "some" in the gap.

Not a teacher nor a native speaker.

Hello.:-D
Please allow me to ask a question.

Is "No machine will work for 70 years or more, day and night, requiring only air, water, food and ...... simple rules" a natural English sentence?

I find it a little strange. (I don't really understand what it means.)

Thank you.

It may be less strange if "air, water, food" is replaced with "electricity, fuel, energy".

Not a teacher.

Hi,
Please note I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker;
It may be less strange if "No machine will work" is replace by "Humans live" or "human body work". It's a metaphor.


Cheers.

Hi,

Freeguy said:

No machine will work for 70 years or more, day and night, requiring only air, water, food and ...... simple rules.

What about this sentence? why do you say 'only a few' and not 'only few' ?

Click to expand...

It's not grammar it's meaning in that sentence; it's more about what the author of that sentence intended to say.

Cheers.

Jaskin said:

It may be less strange if "No machine will work" is replace by "Humans live" or "human body work". It's a metaphor.

Click to expand...

How about "No human will live"?

Not a teacher.

Hi,
Please note I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker,

How about "No human will live"?

Click to expand...

Not really, I don't think it's the intended meaning of that sentence; as for me the sentence argues how robust and fuel-efficient is human/human body comparing to any machine hence the No machine [..].

Cheers.

"No machine will work for 70 years or more, day and night, requiring only air, water, food, but a human body will."
Do you mean that?

I see.:-D
The sentence does make sense in the context of the comparison between humans and machines.
I think I got it. Thank you, Jaskin and Matthew.:-D