an unexpected number of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an unexpected number of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a quantity or amount that is surprising or not anticipated. Example: "The survey revealed an unexpected number of participants who were interested in the new program."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

An element of uncertainty about the results arose when an unexpected number of completed ballots were declared invalid at polling stations.

The New York Times

Voters, who were choosing an unexpected number of G.O.P. candidates over Democrats, felt that the economy, under Obama, was in poor — perhaps even worsening — shape.

The New Yorker

To obtain a reference phylogeny, all regions of ≥500 characters in length (excluding gaps) that did not contain an unexpected number of SNPs were concatenated.

Nature

It seems, an unexpected number of career politicians, fed up with a life of opposition in the Commons and seeing a new breed of cities providing them with more opportunities locally than nationally.

The Guardian

This Medea is too big for a place like this, her passions too intense, her intelligence too vicious, and in Bartlett's own production, there are an unexpected number of laughs.

The Guardian

The drug maker Roche, for instance, has ended a clinical trial with lung cancer patients that compared Aranesp with an anemia drug it is developing because of an unexpected number of deaths in at least some of the treatment groups, a Roche spokeswoman confirmed yesterday.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

The year 2007 started with an early and unexpected number of flash floods and population movement as result of heavy rains and armed conflict.

Unicef

However, an unexpected low number of patients of the age group 75 years and older became apparent during the first year.

BMC Geriatrics

However, soon after alendronate release, an unexpected higher number of cases of oesophagitis and oesophageal strictures were encountered when the drug was prescribed to the general population, which resulted in changes to the alendronate label [ 22, 23].

BMC Gastroenterology

Finally, even with an unexpected high number of reported severe cases, the total number of deaths in PICUs was too small to perform a multivariable analysis for factors associated with death.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Similarly, detection of an unexpected large number of genes encoding for transcription factors in Marchantia by RNA-Seq was explained as being caused by a "fragmentary" dataset, likely exceeding the number of actual transcription factors present [ 34].

BMC Plant Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "an unexpected number of" to highlight a surprising or statistically significant quantity. This phrase is suitable for both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "an unexpected number of" when the context already implies surprise or deviation from expectations. Redundancy weakens the impact of your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an unexpected number of" functions as a determiner phrase modifying a noun. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness, indicating it is a standard and acceptable way to describe a surprising quantity.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

36%

News & Media

32%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "an unexpected number of" is a versatile and grammatically correct expression used to describe a quantity that is surprising or deviates from expectations. According to Ludwig AI, it's suitable for a wide range of contexts, from news reports and scientific papers to general conversation. It is most frequently found in scientific and news media sources. When using the phrase, ensure that the context does not already imply surprise to avoid redundancy. Remember that while alternatives like "a surprising quantity of" or "more than anticipated" exist, "an unexpected number of" provides a specific emphasis on the lack of prior prediction.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a surprising quantity of

Replaces "number" with "quantity", focusing on the amount rather than a countable figure.

a surprisingly large amount of

Emphasizes the largeness and unexpectedness of the amount.

more than anticipated

Focuses on the deviation from what was expected.

a greater-than-expected quantity of

Formal alternative that highlights the difference from the expected amount.

an unforeseen amount of

Indicates that the amount was not predicted or planned for.

a higher-than-anticipated volume of

Uses "volume" to imply a large quantity and emphasizes the deviation from expectations.

an unpredicted quantity of

Focuses on the lack of prediction for the amount.

a surprising incidence of

Changes the focus to the occurrence of something, rather than a specific count.

an unanticipated frequency of

Shifts the focus to how often something occurs unexpectedly.

unexpectedly many

Short, direct alternative that emphasizes the surprising quantity.

FAQs

How can I use "an unexpected number of" in a sentence?

You can use "an unexpected number of" to describe a quantity that is surprisingly high or different from what was predicted. For example: "There were "an unexpected number of" applicants for the position this year."

What are some alternatives to "an unexpected number of"?

Alternatives include "a surprising amount of", "more than anticipated", or "a greater-than-expected quantity of", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "an unexpected number of" formal or informal?

"An unexpected number of" is suitable for both formal and informal writing. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and sentence structure than the phrase itself.

What's the difference between "an unexpected number of" and "a surprising number of"?

While similar, "an unexpected number of" emphasizes that the quantity was not anticipated, whereas "a surprising number of" simply highlights that the quantity is noteworthy or remarkable.