a group of around

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a group of around" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when estimating the number of people or things in a group, indicating that the exact number is not known but is approximately a certain value. Example: "There was a group of around twenty participants at the workshop."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He leads a group of around 200 pastors advocating the Wal-Mart plan.

The Economist

Chosen by a group of around 600 industry voters, the six acts will be honoured at a ceremony in April.

The Guardian - Music

The concessions were still inadequate for a group of around 150 activists protesting against the Meppel event.

Independent

A group of around 200 people gathered outside parliament on Sunday to protest at the appointment of a Tymoshenko ally, Oleksandr Turchinov, as acting president.

The Guardian

At the rally, a small group of surfers paddled out to the break and a group of around 25 more gathered to watch from a nearby cliff.

Huffington Post

A group of around 50 people confronted fans.

Independent

A group of around 300 people temporarily shut down the Galleria mall in St Louis.

The Guardian

As the meeting became more heated, a group of around 10 parents came to the fore.

The Guardian

State television showed a group of around 10 people in detention.

The New York Times

A group of around 750 lieutenants working for them are known as "current nominals".

The Economist

Corbyn's deputy Watson is forming a group of around 100 MPs from the non-Corbynite wing of the party.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a group of around", ensure the context requires an estimation rather than an exact number. This softens the statement and acknowledges potential imprecision.

Common error

Avoid adding overly precise figures after "around". For example, avoid saying "a group of around 27 people" when "about 25 to 30 people" would suffice. Over-precision defeats the purpose of using "around" in the first place.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a group of around" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a noun, indicating an approximate quantity. It is commonly used to express that the exact number is unknown or not critical to the context, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

18%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Academia

7%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a group of around" is a commonly used prepositional phrase to indicate an approximate number or quantity, as validated by Ludwig AI. Predominantly found in news and media, science, and formal business contexts, this phrase serves to provide an estimation when precision is not critical. When writing, it's important to maintain a neutral tone, and to understand alternatives like "approximately a group of" or "roughly a group of" that can provide slightly different shades of meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

approximately a group of

Replaces "around" with "approximately" offering a more formal tone.

close to a group of

Uses "close to" to indicate a quantity that is near but not exact.

about a group of

Replaces "around" with "about", which is a simpler and more informal alternative.

roughly a group of

Substitutes "around" with "roughly", providing a more casual feel.

an estimated group of

Highlights that the group size is an estimation.

a number of approximately

Rephrases to emphasize "number" and uses "approximately" for precision.

something like a group of

Adds "something like" to express a less precise approximation.

a cluster of approximately

Replaces "group" with "cluster", suggesting a gathering, and uses "approximately" for precision.

in the neighborhood of a group of

Uses "in the neighborhood of" for a slightly more descriptive estimation.

in the vicinity of a group of

Uses "in the vicinity of" for a more descriptive and less precise estimate.

FAQs

How can I use "a group of around" in a sentence?

Use "a group of around" to indicate an approximate number of people or objects. For example, "A group of around 50 students attended the lecture".

What can I say instead of "a group of around"?

You can use alternatives like "approximately a group of", "roughly a group of", or "about a group of" depending on the context.

Is it more formal to say "approximately a group of" instead of "a group of around"?

Yes, "approximately a group of" is generally considered more formal than "a group of around", which is more neutral.

What is the difference between "a group of approximately" and "a group of around"?

While both phrases indicate an estimate, "a group of approximately" suggests a slightly more careful or scientific estimation than "a group of around", which is more conversational.