there were a total of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "there were a total of" is correct and usable in written English.
It is often used to indicate a number or amount of something. For example: "There were a total of 24 students in the class."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"There were a total of three courses of one week.

The Guardian - Sport

In 1998 and 1999, there were a total of 35.

The New York Times

There were a total of twenty-eight Web sites.

The New Yorker

There were a total of 20 subjects with amblyopia, ages 15 to 61, in the study.

University of California, Berkeley

We see that there were a total of 35 sources detected in this observation.

Harvard University

There were a total of 96 major protocol violations.

Clinical Phytoscience

There were a total of five sessions with 164 participants.

Latin American Economic Review

There were a total of ten subjects in this study.

EJNMMI Research

There were a total of 56 defendants in the case.

BBC

There were a total of 80 of my classmates on Tech Trek.

Duke University

There were a total of 18 penalties.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "there were a total of", ensure the number you provide is accurate and verifiable, especially in formal reports or academic papers.

Common error

Avoid using "there were a total of" when you are providing an estimate or approximation. Use phrases like "approximately" or "roughly" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "there were a total of" functions as an expletive construction, introducing the existence of a specific quantity or number. As evidenced by Ludwig, it's used to present a sum or aggregate in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

49%

News & Media

20%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "there were a total of" is a versatile phrase used to introduce a specific quantity or number. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and applicable in various writing styles. This phrase is most commonly found in scientific, news, and academic contexts. Remember to use it when you want to present an exact count and avoid using it for estimations. Consider alternatives like "there were altogether" or "approximately" when precision is not required.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

there were altogether

Replaces "a total of" with "altogether", slightly altering the sentence structure.

there was a total of

Changes "were" to "was", adjusting for singular subjects.

there were a number of

Replaces "a total of" with "a number of", indicating an unspecified quantity.

there were a quantity of

Substitutes "total" with "quantity", emphasizing the amount.

there were approximately

Uses "approximately" instead of "a total of", suggesting an estimate.

there were roughly

Similar to "approximately", indicating an imprecise count.

it consisted of

Changes the sentence structure to focus on what the total comprises.

the sum was

Replaces the initial part of the sentence focusing on 'sum' instead of the existence

there were at least

Indicates a minimum number, not necessarily a precise total.

there were nearly

Suggests an amount close to a specific number, but not exact.

FAQs

How can I use "there were a total of" in a sentence?

Use "there were a total of" to introduce a specific number or quantity that has been counted or calculated. For example, "There were a total of 300 attendees at the conference."

What phrases can I use instead of "there were a total of"?

You can use alternatives like "there were altogether", "there were approximately", or "it consisted of depending on the context".

Is it correct to say "there was a total of" instead of "there were a total of"?

The correctness depends on the subject that follows. Use "there was a total of" with singular nouns (e.g., "There was a total of one winner") and "there were a total of" with plural nouns (e.g., "There were a total of five errors").

What is the difference between "there were a total of" and "there were a number of"?

"There were a total of" indicates a precise count, while "there were a number of" suggests an unspecified quantity. Use the former when you have an exact figure and the latter when you don't.