ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: select few

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:55:26 GMT

Hi,

They only represent a select few young girls.
They only represent a selected few young girls.

Say #1, not #2.

Finally, we're on the same page.
Why is the second wrong? I've been using it :(

A select few young girls. 'A select few' is a fixed phrase that means 'a special few'.

A selected few young girls. 'Selected' here means 'chosen'. You can say this, but the sequence of adjectives feels wrong to me. I'd say 'a few selected young girls'.

Also, why 'a' ? a...young girls is wrong, isn't it? The 'a' is needed because of 'few'. 'A few girls'.

Clive

Re: select few

New2grammar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:50:57 GMT

Got it. Thanks. I have been using it because we always use the participle to modify a noun like chosen instead of chose. Ithink there is no explanation. It's idomatic.

sorry for asking the stupid question about 'a'. It goes with few, of course!!!

Re: select few

Avangi — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:45:20 GMT

We have expressions like, "the chosen few," which might appear as a caption under a picture of some Marines. This would be the same as "the select few." I haven't heard "the selected few" used in this way, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be.

An attorney or talent agent "represents" his clients. If he has a very small and select clientele, you could say he represents only a few. He represents only a few young girls. The judges selected only a few young girls. These young girls are the select few. It's sort of like the special few. You could say, "These young girls are the selected few," but I don't recall hearing it put that way. You don't have the same problem when you say, "These young girls are the chosen few," because only the past participle is available.

- A.

Edit. I see Clive says no. I'm not sure what the reason is.

Re: select few

New2grammar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:42:47 GMT

Clive
They only represent a select few young girls.
They only represent a selected few young girls.

Say #1, not #2.

Finally, we're on the same page.
Why is the second wrong? I've been using it :(

Also, why 'a' ? a...young girls is wrong, isn't it?

Re: select few

New2grammar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT

No. They are modifiers. You are one of select few/selected few who do this.

Re: select few

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:37:09 GMT

Hi,
Actually I wanted to see the difference between select a few and selected a few.

It's just present tense / past tense. Or are you asking about something else?
Clive

PS
Perhaps you mean this adjectival form.

They only represent a select few young girls.
They only represent a selected few young girls.

Say #1, not #2.

Re: select few

New2grammar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:30:55 GMT

My apologies. My mind was playing tricks on me.

Actually I wanted to see the difference between select few and selected few. I may have made up a poor example.

I don't have problem with a few vs few

Re: select few

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:27:28 GMT

Hi,

(They only represent young girls.)
They only select few young girls.
They only selected few young girls.

Only these two. Why did you ask that? What's confusing?
It's because 'represent' is totally different in meaning from 'select'. And in your 'represent' sentence, the word 'few' does not appear.
Yet you are asking if #2 and #3 have the same meaning as #1.

( There are also problems with only/few. Perhaps you mean only/a few. )

Clive

Re: select few

New2grammar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:18:52 GMT

Clive
They only select few young girls.
They only selected few young girls.

Only these two. Why did you ask that? What's confusing?

Re: select few

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:12:08 GMT

Hi,
They only represent [select few/selected few] young girls.

What's the difference?

Please check and confirm that these are the three exact sentences you are asking about.
They only represent young girls.
They only select few young girls.
They only selected few young girls.

Best wishes, Clive

select few

New2grammar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:03:47 GMT

They only represent [select few/selected few] young girls.

What's the difference?
Thanks.