there were five of us

USAGE SUMMARY

The sentence 'there were five of us' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that there are a certain number of people in a group, for example: "We were a big family - there were five of us in total."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

48 human-written examples

Over the weekend, there were five of us that were using the app to quickly take pictures of what we were doing and sharing them with others within the app and via Twitter and Facebook.

TechCrunch

"There were five of us," I insisted.

The New Yorker

There were five of us boys, and mealtimes were chaotic.

The New York Times

There were five of us hanging outside a friend's house.

The New York Times

"There were five of us in a van," she said.

The New York Times

Five, there were five of us not racing today.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

8 human-written examples

We were playing all kinds of music and recording it and one day--there were five of us there--my brother said, here they are, the new rhythm and blues quintet.

Huffington Post

There were two of us.

The New York Times

There were four of us playing.

The New Yorker

There were four of us, in canoes.

The New Yorker

And there were six of us, behind.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "there were five of us" to clearly state the number of people involved in a situation or group. It's a straightforward way to provide information about group size.

Common error

Avoid substituting "us" with "we" in this construction. "There were five of we" is grammatically incorrect. Always use the objective pronoun "us" after "of".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "there were five of us" serves as an existential clause introducing the presence of a group of five people. As evidenced by Ludwig, it's a straightforward way to indicate group size and is often used to set the context for a narrative or description.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "there were five of us" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to indicate a group of five individuals. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and widespread applicability. Predominantly found in news and media sources, it serves the purpose of informing the audience about group size in a clear and neutral manner. When using this phrase, ensure correct pronoun usage by opting for "us" instead of "we" after "of". Alternatives like "our group consisted of five" can be employed for a more formal tone. Overall, it’s a versatile phrase suitable for various contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

there were five people

Replaces "us" with a more general term "people".

five of us were present

Replaces "there were" with "were present" for a slightly more formal tone.

five of us were in attendance

Similar to "were present" but specifically indicates attendance.

a group of five were there

Changes the sentence structure while retaining the core meaning.

our group consisted of five

Emphasizes the composition of the group.

we were a party of five

Suitable when referring to a group in a social setting.

we numbered five

Uses a more concise and slightly literary phrasing.

the group was five strong

Emphasizes the number as a measure of strength or size.

there were five members of our team

Specifies that the five individuals belonged to a team.

five individuals were among us

More formal and descriptive, highlighting individual presence.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "there were five of us" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, you could say "our group consisted of five" or "we numbered five". These options offer a slightly elevated level of formality while conveying the same information.

Is it correct to say "there was five of us"?

No, it is not correct. The correct phrase is "there were five of us". "Were" is used because "five" indicates a plural subject.

What's the difference between saying "there were five of us" and "we were five"?

"There were five of us" is a more common and natural way to state the number of people in a group. "We were five" is grammatically correct but less frequently used.

What are some common situations where I might use the phrase "there were five of us"?

This phrase is commonly used when describing a group size in various situations, such as recounting an event (e.g., "there were five of us at the restaurant"), explaining a family size, or specifying the number of participants in a project.