mostly of them

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mostly of them" is not correct in English.
You might be trying to express that a majority of a group is being referred to, but the correct form would be "most of them." Example: "Most of them agreed with the proposal during the meeting."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Complications during closed intramedullary femoral nailing are uncommon, and mostly of them are caused by technical reasons.

Chinese Journal of Traumatology

The first act consists mostly of them writing letters to each other, with the boy almost getting a kiss from the girl as the curtain falls.

Huffington Post

Mostly of them were up-regulated with highest induction of 22-fold for one member (AW705829).

BMC Genomics

On average, 1.4% of all reads mapping in genic loci in each dataset was found in antisense orientation (see Table  3), mostly of them mapping at level of exonic regions (83%).

BMC Genomics

The Gender Violence Recovery Center in Mombasa reported that cases of sexual violence had doubled since the elections and there have been an increase in sexual assaults by strangers and gang rapes; mostly of them girls under the age of 18, but also including some boys.

Unicef

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Women are still mostly sex objects, and men mostly think of them in commodity terms.

The New York Times - Arts

They are filled with inert gas to prevent corrosion, and require no mechanical cooling systems; David J. Foss, an engineer here who supervised their loading, said maintenance consisted mostly of inspecting them and sweeping the leaves off the pad.

The New York Times

It consisted mostly of reminding them who I was and that my name was not in fact "Trip".

TechCrunch

Of the orphans we started with - we had 23 originally - mostly all of them are married.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"Planetary scientists think about planets as bodies with processes and systems, and a lot of astronomers mostly think of them as objects orbiting around other objects.

The Guardian

They were young men, mostly, 14 of them in their 20s — outdoorsmen, fathers, heroes to the local high school athletes they themselves once were.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When intending to convey 'almost all', consider using "almost all of them" or "the vast majority of them" for greater impact.

Common error

Avoid using "of" after "mostly". It is more accurate to say "most of them" or rephrase to use "mostly" as an adverb modifying a verb or adjective.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mostly of them" functions as a prepositional phrase, aiming to specify a quantity or proportion. As Ludwig AI highlights, the expression is not grammatically correct in standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "mostly of them" is grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. While its intended meaning is to convey that a majority of a group is being referenced, it is more accurate and clearer to use alternatives such as "most of them" or "the majority of them". Although it appears in some news, scientific, and business contexts, its low frequency and grammatical issues suggest it should be avoided in formal writing. Opting for grammatically sound alternatives enhances clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

most of them

Replaces "mostly" with "most" for better grammatical accuracy.

the majority of them

Uses a more formal and grammatically sound construction.

almost all of them

Emphasizes near-complete inclusion, similar to "mostly".

largely of them

Uses 'largely' to express a substantial portion, altering the original phrase structure.

mainly of them

Emphasizes the principal component within the group.

primarily of them

Indicates the main constituents of the group, offering a more formal tone.

chiefly of them

Suggests that the most important members of the group are being referred to.

predominantly of them

Highlights the prevailing element within the group, providing a stronger emphasis.

by and large of them

Implies a general overview, focusing on the bigger picture of the group composition.

for the most part of them

Expresses a common condition within the group, allowing for exceptions.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "mostly of them"?

The grammatically correct alternative is "most of them". You can also use phrases like "the majority of them" or "almost all of them" depending on the intended meaning.

Can I use "mostly of them" in formal writing?

No, it's best to avoid "mostly of them" in formal writing. Use more standard phrases such as "most of them" or "the majority of them".

What does "mostly of them" mean?

While not grammatically standard, "mostly of them" is generally intended to convey that a large portion or the majority of a group is being referred to. A better way to phrase this is to say "most of them".

Is there a subtle difference in meaning between "mostly of them" and "most of them"?

Although "mostly of them" is not considered correct, the intended meaning is nearly identical to "most of them". Using "most of them" ensures clarity and grammatical accuracy.