a numbers of

USAGE SUMMARY

"a numbers of" is not correct and not usable in written English.
You can use the phrase "a number of" instead. For example: A number of people prefer drinking coffee to tea.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I meet a decent bank manager I have known for a numbers of years.

The Guardian

Playing with a mentality and physicalness that's been Michigan defense for a numbers of years.

The New York Times

Zimmerman's parents and a numbers of friends and neighbours took the stand to insist that it was Zimmerman.

The Guardian

This is the first time a rig has gone to the Falklands sincd 1998 when Shell and Lasmo drilled a numbers of wells.

The Guardian - Business

The inquiry has heard evidence from a numbers of witnesses, some who have provided extensive documentation, that outlines serious concerns about abuses at the centres.

The Guardian

We know that the claimant was going through considerable stress in her personal life," he tells the judge, attempting to give background information that might explain why his client had sworn at her colleagues, one of a numbers of incidents that led to her being disciplined and later being dismissed for gross misconduct.

The Guardian - Money

We learn a numbers of things.

Electoral Studies

A numbers of approaches are suggested for handling large text for automatic text summarization [36, 37].

Journal of Big Data

a Numbers of SSRs by length; b distribution of SSR loci.

Botanical Studies

With Wall Street watching their every move, the Cruz brothers made a numbers of beginners' mistakes.

Forbes

The designed schemes are evaluated by solving a numbers of BVPs for the PFDE and comparing with standard results.

Applied Soft Computing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always double-check your grammar when writing. Even if a phrase appears frequently, it might still be incorrect. Rely on trusted grammar resources and style guides.

Common error

Many writers mistakenly use "a numbers of" instead of the correct phrase "a number of". The correct phrase indicates a plural quantity, while "the number of" refers to a specific, singular value. Always use "a number of" followed by a plural noun.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a numbers of" functions as a determiner intended to specify a quantity. However, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "a number of," which then functions as a determiner followed by a plural noun. Ludwig AI confirms this discrepancy.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

54%

News & Media

39%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

Despite its seemingly common appearance, the phrase "a numbers of" is grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI indicates, the correct form is "a number of". Although it is found in varied contexts like scientific articles and news reports, it's essential to avoid this phrase in formal writing. Remember to use "a number of" followed by a plural noun to correctly indicate a quantity. The high frequency of this error underscores the importance of careful proofreading and reliance on trusted grammar resources to ensure accuracy in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

several

Replaces the entire phrase with a single word indicating more than two but not many.

a quantity of

Emphasizes the amount or measure, similar to "a numbers of" but more grammatically sound.

a multitude of

Highlights the vast number or variety of something.

various

Indicates different types or instances of something, replacing the need to specify a number.

numerous

Similar to "several" but suggests a larger quantity.

a significant number of

Highlights that the amount is large enough to be important or noteworthy.

a considerable amount of

Focuses on the substantial size or degree of something.

a good deal of

Informal way to indicate a large quantity or extent.

plenty of

Suggests that there is more than enough of something.

heaps of

Very informal way to indicate a large quantity; more colloquial.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "a numbers of"?

The correct phrase is "a number of". "A numbers of" is grammatically incorrect.

Is "a number of" singular or plural?

"A number of" is followed by a plural noun and takes a plural verb, indicating that you are talking about multiple items or entities. For example: "A number of students are attending the lecture."

When should I use "the number of" instead of "a number of"?

Use "the number of" when you are referring to a specific quantity as a single entity. For example: "The number of participants is limited to 50."

What are some alternatives to "a number of"?

You can use alternatives like "several", "numerous", or "various" depending on the context.