a large number of students were

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a large number of students were" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a significant quantity of students in a particular context, such as attendance, participation, or opinion. Example: "A large number of students were present at the seminar, eager to learn about the new curriculum changes."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

A large number of students were tested in each country including 5,233 in the United States.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

In the particular case study presented, the analysis uncovered the fact that a large number of students were not using a key concept which the lecturer had spent considerable effort in teaching.

International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

A large number of students were arrested.

Wikipedia

During testing season last year, reports emerged that a large number of students were opted out of state assessments.

Huffington Post

A large number of students were unsure about the appropriateness for doctors and medical students to receive gifts from pharmaceutical companies.

BMC Medical Ethics

A large number of students were unsure about working rurally (23% in a small town and 28% in a rural community).

Human Resources for Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

However, for a large number of students, being with same-age peers in the classroom does not work.

Huffington Post

This could be one of the reasons for a large number of students being from urban areas.

Human Resources for Health

As the Greek crisis deepened, large numbers of students were forced to accelerate, or even interrupt, their studies.

The Guardian - Opinion

Thanks to the laboratory and activity design, a large number of students can be managed.

Control Engineering Practice

But for a large number of students there are these additional steps".

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for conciseness, consider alternatives like "many students were" or "numerous students were", especially in contexts where the exact quantity isn't critical.

Common error

While acceptable, "a large number of students were" can sometimes sound less precise in formal academic writing. Consider replacing it with more specific numerical data if available, or use alternatives like "a significant proportion of students" to convey a more nuanced meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a large number of students were" functions as a determiner phrase followed by a verb, indicating a quantity of students involved in an action or state. Ludwig confirms this usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

43%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a large number of students were" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase to indicate that a significant quantity of students is involved in a situation. Ludwig confirms that it appears frequently in scientific and news contexts. While generally neutral in tone, it can be adapted for formality by choosing synonyms like "many" or "numerous". When aiming for precision, consider replacing it with specific numbers or percentages. Be cautious against overuse in highly formal academic writing, where a more nuanced phrase or direct data may be more appropriate. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness of the phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

many students were

Replaces "a large number of" with the simpler "many", making the sentence more concise.

numerous students were

Substitutes "a large number of" with "numerous", offering a more formal tone.

a significant number of students were

Replaces "large" with "significant", emphasizing the importance of the quantity.

a great many students were

Uses "a great many" instead of "a large number", providing a slightly more emphatic alternative.

a considerable number of students were

Employs "considerable" to highlight the noteworthiness of the number of students.

a substantial number of students were

Similar to 'considerable', but may imply even more students.

a multitude of students were

More emphatic, indicates very large numbers

a host of students were

Figurative, and indicates a great amount.

plenty of students were

Less formal, replacing the more formal term with something colloquial.

lots of students were

Very informal; replacing with a phrase usually found in spoken, rather than written, English.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "a large number of students were"?

You can use alternatives like "many students were", "numerous students were", or "a significant number of students were depending on the context and level of formality.

Is it better to use "a large number of students was" or "a large number of students were"?

The correct form is "a large number of students were" because "number" in this context refers to the plural "students". Therefore, the plural verb "were" is appropriate.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "a large number of students were"?

It's suitable when you want to indicate that a considerable quantity of students participated in an event, held a particular opinion, or experienced a specific situation, without needing to specify an exact count.

How can I make my sentence more precise than using "a large number of students were"?

If possible, provide the exact number or a percentage. For example, instead of "a large number of students were", you could say "5233 students were" or "Over 60% of the students were".