four of whom

USAGE SUMMARY

"four of whom" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is most commonly used when referring to a group of people that was previously mentioned. For example, "The class had twelve students, four of whom were in the student council."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

55 human-written examples

Thirteen people were on board, four of whom survived.

The New York Times

His first wife bore five children, four of whom lived to adulthood.

The New York Times

Altogether, he has given advice to about 6,000 people, only four of whom were dissatisfied.

The New Yorker

He also raised six children, four of whom he said he put through college.

The New York Times

In August, ten mountain climbers, four of whom were Americans, were kidnapped by guerrillas in Kyrgyzstan.

The New Yorker

She has also raised five children on her own, four of whom she adopted.

The New York Times

The maneuver drew five colts, four of whom won or placed in stakes last year.

The New York Times - Sports

Charles's uncle - Emma's father - had nine offspring, four of whom married cousins.

The Guardian

He has six children, four of whom live with him and his second wife, Rita.

The New York Times - Sports

She is also a mother of five, four of whom have become artists themselves.

The Guardian - Arts

Massachusetts General Hospital also received thirty-one victims at least four of whom required amputations.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "four of whom", ensure that the group being referred to has been clearly identified in the preceding sentence or clause. This helps maintain clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

A common mistake is using "four of whom" without a clear antecedent. Always ensure that the group you're referring to is explicitly stated before using this phrase to avoid confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "four of whom" functions as a relative clause introducing additional information about a subset of a previously mentioned group of people. Ludwig confirms that this is grammatically correct and widely used. This phrase helps to specify a quantity within a larger group, as demonstrated in many examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

35%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "four of whom" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to specify a subset within a larger group of people. As confirmed by Ludwig, its primary function is to introduce relative clauses that provide precise details about a portion of that group. The phrase is most commonly found in News & Media and scientific writing, indicating a formal to neutral register. To ensure clarity, always make sure the antecedent (the group being referenced) is clearly established in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

of whom four

Inverts the order of the phrase, slightly altering the emphasis.

four among them

Replaces "of whom" with a simpler prepositional phrase, reducing formality.

four from that group

Breaks down the phrase into more explicit and less formal language.

four out of those

Uses a more colloquial expression to indicate a subset of a group.

four of that number

Substitutes "whom" with a more general term referring to the group's quantity.

four individuals from them

Replaces "of whom" with a phrase that emphasizes individual selection.

four members of which

A more formal and slightly different way to specify members of a previously mentioned group.

and four of them

Splits the original sentence into two, using a conjunction to connect the ideas.

four who are

Simplifies the phrase by removing "of whom" and using a relative pronoun with a verb.

four that were

Similar to "four who are", but uses "that" instead of "who" and alters the verb tense.

FAQs

How to use "four of whom" in a sentence?

Use "four of whom" to refer to a subset of a previously mentioned group of people. For example, "The team consisted of ten members, "four of whom" were engineers".

What can I say instead of "four of whom"?

You can use alternatives like "four among them", "four out of those", or "and four of them depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "whom of four"?

No, "whom of four" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is ""four of whom"", where "whom" is the object of the preposition "of".

What's the difference between "four of whom" and "four of who"?

"Four of whom" is grammatically correct when referring to people in a relative clause, while "four of who" is generally incorrect in formal writing. "Whom" is used as the object of a verb or preposition, whereas "who" is used as the subject.