a number of them

USAGE SUMMARY

"a number of them" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it in sentences to describe a quantity of things. For example, "I found a number of books in the library that I wanted to read."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

There are a number of them.

The New York Times

"We've brought a number of them.

The New York Times

A: There are a number of them.

The New Yorker

He discusses a number of them.

The New Yorker

A number of them, of course.

The New York Times - Books

(A number of them left the paper).

The New Yorker

Quite a number of them.

The Guardian - Opinion

A number of them won.

The Guardian - Opinion

And we'll define a number of them.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A number of them became my chums.

The New York Times - Arts

There were a number of them.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a number of them" when you want to indicate a quantity that is more than a few, but not necessarily a majority. It's suitable for situations where precision isn't required.

Common error

Be mindful of subject-verb agreement. Although "number" is singular, "a number of them" refers to multiple items, so use a plural verb. For example, "A number of them are cooperating" is correct, not "A number of them is cooperating."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a number of them" functions as a determiner phrase followed by a prepositional phrase. It acts as a quantifier, indicating an unspecified quantity of a group. As seen in Ludwig's examples, it commonly introduces a statement about a subset of a larger group.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Academia

20%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Science

15%

Wiki

2%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a number of them" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase for indicating an unspecified quantity. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability in written English. It's best suited for situations where precision is not required and a general indication of quantity is sufficient. While versatile across various contexts, it appears most commonly in News & Media sources. When writing, remember to use a plural verb form with this phrase. For alternative expressions, consider options like "several of them" or "many of them" to add variety to your language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

several of them

Replaces "a number" with "several", implying more than two but not a large quantity.

many of them

Substitutes "a number" with "many", indicating a large quantity.

quite a few of them

Adds "quite" to "a few", intensifying the quantity slightly.

some of them

Uses "some" to indicate an unspecified quantity, possibly smaller than "a number".

a few of them

Specifies a small quantity, less than "a number".

a majority of them

Indicates more than half of the group.

a large proportion of them

More formal way of saying a substantial part of the group.

numerous among them

More formal and emphasizes the count within the group.

a significant portion of them

Highlights the importance or impact of the quantity.

various of them

Emphasizes the variety within the selected group.

FAQs

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

"A number of them" is used to refer to a quantity of items or people. For example, "A number of them were selected for the team" indicates that multiple individuals were chosen.

What's a more formal alternative to "a number of them"?

For a more formal tone, you can use phrases like "a significant portion of them" or "a large proportion of them" to convey a similar meaning with increased sophistication.

Is there a difference between "a number of them" and "the number of them"?

Yes, "a number of them" implies a plural subject, whereas "the number of them" refers to the singular number itself. For example, "A number of them are going" versus "The number of them going is significant."

What are some common synonyms for "a number of them"?

Common synonyms include "several of them", "many of them", and "quite a few of them", offering variety in your writing while maintaining a similar meaning.