a number of tasks

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a number of tasks" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to any quantity of tasks greater than one. Example sentence: I have a number of tasks to complete before the end of the day.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They all showed some improvement on a number of tasks.

The New York Times - Science

Here, the participants had to solve a number of tasks in dialogue with a talking head.

Speech Communication

Then, in the interviews, I described a number of tasks and projects that called for some analytical thinking and creativity.

The New York Times

"He's a parallel processor," he said, someone who habitually carries out a number of tasks at the same time.

The New York Times - Magazine

Her sister takes care of a "number of tasks" when her full time assistant has time off to spend off with her daughter, said Kirkbride.

The Guardian

Its performance has been measured over a number of tasks to investigate the applicability of the approach.

IFAC Proceedings Volumes

SuccessFactors allows human resources departments to outsource a number of tasks, ranging from compensation planning to employee reviews, succession planning, and goal and competency planning.

MIT Technology Review

This involves a number of tasks including deciding the services offered by distributed servers and the configuration of collection servers and regions (described in the Dienst Architecture Summary).

Cornell University

This principle, called "division of labor," allowed workers to focus on doing one thing very well, rather than being responsible for a number of tasks.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

It achieves state-of-the-art performance on a number of tasks, including robotic interpretation of navigational directions and learning to understand user utterances in dialog systems.

Cornell University

This paper discusses the demands for proper tools for computer aided control system design of mechatronic systems and identifies a number of tasks in this design process.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a number of tasks", ensure the context provides clarity about the specific type or nature of the tasks being referred to for better understanding.

Common error

Avoid using "a number of tasks" without providing any context about the specific nature of the tasks. Always try to specify what kind of tasks are being referenced to give readers better understanding.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a number of tasks" functions as a determiner phrase followed by a plural noun. It modifies a noun to indicate a quantity greater than one, suggesting that multiple tasks are involved. Ludwig examples confirm this usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

32%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

7%

Encyclopedias

1%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a number of tasks" is a common and grammatically correct way to indicate multiple duties or assignments. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for use in written English when referring to more than one task. It appears frequently in scientific, news, and academic contexts. While versatile, it's advisable to provide context regarding the specific types of tasks for enhanced clarity. Alternatives like "several tasks", "various tasks", or "multiple tasks" can be used depending on the desired nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

several tasks

Replaces "a number of" with "several" implying more than two but not a large amount.

various tasks

Suggests a variety or diverse range of tasks, rather than just a quantity.

multiple tasks

Emphasizes that there are more than one task to deal with.

numerous tasks

Indicates a large quantity of tasks.

a series of tasks

Implies that tasks are sequential or related.

a range of tasks

Highlights the diversity and scope of the tasks.

a set of tasks

Indicates a defined group or collection of tasks.

many tasks

More informal and direct way of saying there are a lot of tasks.

a multitude of tasks

Highlights the great amount of tasks.

different assignments

Refers to specific jobs or duties that have been assigned.

FAQs

How can I use "a number of tasks" in a sentence?

You can use "a number of tasks" to indicate that someone has several things to do, as in, "She has "a number of tasks" to complete before the deadline".

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

Alternatives include "several tasks", "various tasks", or "multiple tasks" depending on the context and desired emphasis.

Is it better to be specific instead of saying "a number of tasks"?

While "a number of tasks" is grammatically correct, being specific can improve clarity. For example, instead of "a number of tasks", you could say "three key assignments" or "several urgent projects".

What's the difference between "a number of tasks" and "the number of tasks"?

"A number of tasks" implies several tasks, while "the number of tasks" refers to a specific quantity. For example, "A number of tasks were completed" versus "The number of tasks completed was significant".