five children ago

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "five children ago" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a time reference related to the number of children someone had or was responsible for in the past. Example: "I had five children ago, and life was much different back then."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

RIBAH: Yes, five children ago.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Every time I managed to get close to my wedding day weight – many years and two children ago – a couple of glasses of shiraz with mates seemed to put it all back on.

The Guardian - Travel

That was seventeen years and three children ago.

HuffPost

A couple of months ago, five children in San Diego lost their mother in a hate-crime.

Huffington Post

She lost her husband of 45 years, the father of her five children, 19 years ago and had been living on her own since.

The Guardian

One arrived from Syria with his wife and five children only six months ago and said the language barrier was a significant challenge.

Los Angeles Times

After making my first foray to Prince Edward Island with my friend Emily and our four children over twenty years ago, I returned to Massachusetts and vowed to return every year.

Huffington Post

More than two decades ago, three children with generalized SE were successfully treated with TH (30 to 31°C) and thiopental [ 15].

Critical Care

Mr. Burchfield, who went to South Africa with his wife and two children six months ago, was the pastor to four mixed-race congregations in the Cape Town area.

The New York Times

Norma Torres and her husband said they fled Nicaragua with their three children five weeks ago after they were threatened by soldiers for protesting and working with Catholic groups challenging the ruling government.

Los Angeles Times

An ex-boyfriend's mom, who had an early miscarriage in between her two children 30 years ago, quietly shared that she thought of herself as a "mother of three".

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "five children ago" to provide a relatable, albeit unconventional, timeframe marker in personal narratives or anecdotal contexts. It works best when the number of children is directly relevant to the story.

Common error

Ensure the context makes it clear that "five children ago" refers to a point in time relative to when someone had five children, not simply five unrelated children in the past. Rephrase if there's a risk of misinterpretation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "five children ago" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb or noun phrase, indicating a point in time relative to the speaker's or subject's life when they had five children. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Science

33%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "five children ago" is a grammatically sound prepositional phrase used to denote a past timeframe relative to when someone had five children. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is valid in written English. While its usage is currently rare, it serves to create a personal and relatable temporal reference, best suited for informal contexts. More formal settings may require more precise temporal markers. Common errors include potential ambiguity, which can be mitigated by rephrasing for clarity. Consider alternatives like "before the birth of our fifth child" for greater precision. The phrase appears across various contexts including News & Media, Formal & Business, and Science publications.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

before I had five children

This alternative is a full clause, providing more context, but alters the original brevity.

prior to having five children

Rephrases the original to focus on the state before having five children, changing the temporal reference.

before the birth of my fifth child

Specifically references the birth of the fifth child as a marker, changing the overall structure.

five children back

Very informal and direct, indicating a point in the past relative to having five children.

five kids earlier

Uses a more informal term ("kids") and a simpler temporal marker ("earlier").

when I had fewer than five children

Focuses on the state of having less than five children, changing the emphasis.

before child number five

More colloquial and direct, specifying a count but sounding less formal.

prior to expanding the family to five children

More verbose, emphasizing family growth.

before reaching five children

Highlights the act of 'reaching' a certain number of children.

in the time preceding our fifth child

Uses more formal vocabulary to describe the time before the fifth child.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "five children ago" for better clarity?

Consider alternatives like "before the birth of our fifth child" or "when we had fewer than five children". These options offer clearer temporal references.

Is "five children ago" appropriate for formal writing?

While grammatically correct, /s/"five+children+ago" is informal. In formal contexts, use more precise temporal markers like "five years prior" or "before 2020".

What does "five children ago" actually mean?

It refers to a point in time before someone had five children. The phrase implies that having five children is a significant marker in their life timeline.

Are there any alternatives to /s/"five+children+ago" that are more widely understood?

Yes, phrases like "several years earlier" or "before starting a family" may be more readily understood by a general audience.