Learn English – “for the next few days” or “for a few days”

grammarsentence-constructionword-choice

I would like to know if the following sentence makes sense.

I've got a stomachache. I should not drink coffee for the next few days.

I'm not saying that a stomachache has anything to do with drinking too much coffee. That is just an example sentence my teacher gave me.

I was wondering if I could say the following as well.

I've got a stomach ache. I should not drink coffee for a few days.

Do the sentences make sense?

Thanks in advance.

Best Answer

They are interchangeable in theory, but they have different personal feelings, to me at least. When you mention "for the next few days", it has some structure and planning to it, like you have an idea that you don't want to drink coffee for the next 5 days, or your doctor told you to not drink coffee for the next 5 days. when you say "for a few days," it sounds like a tentative plan to not drink coffee until you feel better.

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