a number of lost

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a number of lost" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to refer to "a number of lost items" or "a number of lost people," but as it stands, it lacks context and specificity. Example: "There are a number of lost items in the lost and found box."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

A number of lost or… Talk story about flagpoles.

The New Yorker

Coliseum employees have also retrieved a number of lost love letters written to performers.

The New York Times

A number of lost or injured birds arrive in the city at this time of year on their way south for the winter.

The New Yorker

The Theatre Royal (01284 769505; www.theatre royal.org) is a working theatre that has uncovered a number of lost works from the era and holds periodical performances of these forgotten Regency plays.

Independent

British outsourcing firm Serco said on Monday it expected revenue and trading profit to fall in 2016, due to the sale of its offshore call centre business and a number of lost contract.

Independent

Though there are a number of lost item finders on the market, Tile has become one of the biggest in the space, having sold 13 million Tiles to date, as of this January.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Cox has no record to examine for clues since he's never been elected to public office, though he has run a number of losing political campaigns for Congress in Illinois and one short-lived presidential bid.

Los Angeles Times

The lack of obstetric and neonatal care in the BHU meant that a number of women lost their lives, while others lost their unborn or newborn children.

Unicef

In forward error correction (FEC), redundant encoded packets are transmitted to and decoded by receiver(s) so that up to a certain number of lost packets can be recovered by using those redundant packets.

Computer Networks

Performing well in RMSE is, however, not useful if it is accompanied with a high number of lost tracks.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

The study was limited by a high number of lost and deceased patients.

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a number of", ensure it is followed by a noun that can be lost, such as "items", "people", or "opportunities", to provide clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "a number of lost" without specifying what is lost. Always include a noun (e.g., "a number of lost items") to clarify the meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a number of lost" functions as a quantifier requiring a noun to complete its meaning. As noted by Ludwig AI, the expression is incomplete without a specific noun to denote what has been lost (e.g., "a number of lost items").

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

17%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while "a number of lost" appears in various contexts, it's grammatically incomplete without a clarifying noun. Ludwig AI emphasizes this point, noting the need for a specific noun. Correct usage involves specifying what is lost (e.g., "a number of lost opportunities"). Although the phrase appears in sources such as The New York Times and The New Yorker, this grammatical requirement remains. To ensure clarity and correctness, always complete the phrase with an appropriate noun.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

several missing

Replaces "a number of" with "several", focusing on the state of being absent or misplaced.

numerous missing

Emphasizes quantity using "numerous" instead of "a number of", denoting several things are absent.

various misplaced

Substitutes "a number of" with "various", highlighting the diverse nature of items that are not where they should be.

several unaccounted for

Focuses on the idea that some items or people are not accounted for.

many strayed

Replaces "a number of" with "many", focusing on entities that have wandered or deviated from their intended path.

multiple misplaced

Highlights that items have been put in the wrong place.

several stray

Uses "several" to indicate quantity, focusing on items or entities that have become separated or wandered off.

various absent

Indicates that some items or people are not present.

multiple disappeared

Implies items or entities have vanished.

numerous vanished

Highlights the disappearance of several entities.

FAQs

How can I correctly use the phrase "a number of"?

The phrase "a number of" should be followed by a noun. For example, use "a number of "lost items"" instead of "a number of lost".

What does "a number of lost" mean?

The phrase "a number of lost" is incomplete. It requires a noun to specify what has been lost, such as "a number of "lost opportunities"" or "a number of "lost articles"".

What are some alternatives to "a number of lost"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "several missing", "various misplaced", or "numerous missing", followed by an appropriate noun.

Is it grammatically correct to say "a number of lost"?

No, it's not grammatically correct. The phrase requires a noun to specify what is lost. For example, "a number of "lost documents"" is grammatically correct.