loads of children

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "loads of children" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a large number of children in a casual or informal context. Example: "The park was filled with loads of children playing and laughing."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

In those days, people would bring their families, so there were loads of children and swimming pools.

The Guardian - Music

'In my mind I see me with loads of children and living in the countryside with goats and chickens.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

I always wanted loads of children, but my episodes are so severe we just think the threat to the family is too great".

The Guardian

Lots of people think they're too old or need to be married, but it's not true and so loads of children are left needing families unnecessarily".

The Guardian - Lifestyle

What I found was that there are loads of children out there in America with their own guns, but not that many parents who are happy to have their kids' portraits taken with those guns".

The Guardian - Arts

Half of his relatives are divorced, they all seem to have loads of children, there's money coming from somewhere, but none of them seems to have a proper job.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

The sugar load of children and young people was particularly high, she said.

The Guardian

A load of children in the minivan can quickly have parents wishing they had eyes in the backs of their heads.

The New York Times - Travel

If you were a music-loving guy who'd spent 10 years DJing every innovative tune, then a load of children come down to fight with each other, you'd get angry when the police decided to ban it all.

The Guardian - Arts

In Touch's opening instalment, Bohm learnt that Jake's exercise books were filled with thousands of digits, and his habits of re-arranging popcorn kernels and climbing telephone towers at precisely 3.18pm every day were a "roadmap" to a sequence of interconnected chance meetings that eventually resulted in a bus load of children being saved by a man who had just won the lottery.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

In contrast to these two contributions, Antman (2011) finds that paternal migration from Mexico to the U.S. results in a reduction of time allocated to studies and an increased work load of children.

IZA Journal of Migration

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "loads of children" in informal contexts where a casual tone is appropriate. For more formal writing, consider alternatives like "many children" or "a large number of children".

Common error

Avoid using "loads of children" in academic papers, business reports, or other formal documents. Opt for more professional alternatives to maintain a suitable tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "loads of children" functions as a noun phrase acting as the object of a verb or preposition, indicating a large quantity of children. Ludwig AI indicates this phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

17%

Science

8%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "loads of children" is an informal way to express a large quantity of children. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English, though its informality makes it unsuitable for formal contexts such as academic papers or business reports. More formal alternatives include "many children" or "a large number of children". The phrase appears most frequently in News & Media, suggesting it's commonly used in describing real-world scenarios in a casual tone. While grammatically sound and readily understood, it's best to reserve "loads of children" for informal communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

many children

Replaces the informal "loads of" with a more neutral quantifier.

a lot of children

Offers a slightly more formal alternative to "loads of".

numerous children

Provides a more formal and precise way to indicate a large number of children.

plenty of children

Suggests an abundance of children, similar to "loads of".

a great number of children

A more descriptive and formal way to express a large quantity of children.

a large number of children

Similar to "a great number of children" but slightly less emphatic.

an abundance of children

Emphasizes the plentiful nature of the children present.

a multitude of children

Suggests a very large and perhaps overwhelming number of children.

hordes of children

Conveys a sense of a large, possibly unruly, group of children.

throngs of children

Implies a densely packed group of children.

FAQs

What does "loads of children" mean?

The phrase "loads of children" means a large number of children. It's an informal way to describe a situation where there are many children present.

Is it appropriate to use "loads of children" in formal writing?

No, "loads of children" is generally considered informal. For formal writing, use alternatives like "many children" or "a large number of children".

What can I say instead of "loads of children"?

You can use alternatives like "many children", "a lot of children", or "numerous children" depending on the context.

How can I use "loads of children" in a sentence?

You might say, "The park was filled with "loads of children" playing" or "I'd like six children really, in my mind I see me with "loads of children" and living in the countryside."