various of them

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "various of them" is not correct in standard written English.
It is often mistakenly used when referring to a selection or group of items or people, but the correct form would typically be "various ones" or "many of them." Example: "I have several books on the topic, and various of them are quite informative."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

In the weeks before and after Thanksgiving, various of them descended on New York en masse.

The New Yorker

Testing various of them we have compared conditional gradient method, gradient projection method and Newton-type methods as indirect methods with the direct SQP-method.

Journal of Mathematics in Industry

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Some later traditions expand the portrayal of Yājūj and Mājūj, providing various descriptions of them.

Encyclopedia Britannica

He cultured the faecal bacteria of healthy mice and tried various combinations of them on animals infected with C. difficile.

The Economist

There are also, of course, the various photos of them smiling at a camera while holding up a trophy or swinging a golf club taller than they are.

The New York Times - Sports

The joy of alternative worlds is in knowing our own better through them – to realise "other people are very various, many of them quite different", as Empson wrote.

The Guardian - Opinion

All of these possibilities are tossed into the air in the opening lines, and the poet is going to make various uses of them.

The Guardian - Books

The procedure, tested on 16 patients, involved growing millions of a patient's own skeletal muscle cells in test tubes and then reinjecting various amounts of them.

The New York Times

These polynomials are very important in different areas of mathematics, and many scholars have studied various properties of them and obtained a series of interesting and important results.

Advances in Difference Equations

In the next section, where various applications of plural quantification will be discussed, I will carefully note which strains of the notion of logicality our theories PFO and PFO+ must possess for the various applications of them to succeed.

SEP

There are dozens of different Luchas, Jamesons and Orlandos — and they can be actors, singers, instrumentalists, dancers or various combinations of them all.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer grammatically correct alternatives such as "various ones", "several of them", or "many of them" to maintain clarity and credibility in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "of them" directly after "various". Instead, use "various ones" or rephrase to use alternatives like "several of them" or "many of them".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "various of them" functions as a determiner phrase attempting to specify a subset from a larger group. However, Ludwig AI indicates this construction is grammatically incorrect. The intended function is to denote variety within a specified set.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Encyclopedias

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Wiki

17%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "various of them" aims to express that there are different elements within a group. However, as highlighted by Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically incorrect. Preferred alternatives include "various ones", "several of them", or "many of them". While found across multiple sources such as news, science and encyclopedias, it is best to avoid "various of them" in formal writing due to its grammatical flaws. Therefore, always opt for grammatically correct alternatives to ensure clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

various ones

Corrects the grammar while keeping the original meaning.

several of them

Replaces "various" with "several", indicating a limited number but more than two.

many of them

Uses "many" instead of "various", suggesting a larger, less specific quantity.

some of them

Indicates an unspecified number, implying not all but a portion.

a variety of them

Highlights the diversity within the group.

a number of them

More formal alternative, indicating a quantifiable amount.

different ones

Shifts from individuals to distinct entities or items.

multiple of them

Emphasizes that there are more than one, without specifying the exact number.

certain ones

Focuses on specific, identified items or individuals within the group.

a few of them

Suggests a small quantity within the group.

FAQs

What's the correct way to use "various" in a sentence referring to a group?

Instead of saying "various of them", use "various ones", "several of them", or "many of them" for grammatical accuracy.

Is "various of them" considered grammatically correct?

No, "various of them" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard written English. It's better to use "various ones" or rephrase using "some of them" or "many of them".

What can I use instead of "various of them" in formal writing?

In formal writing, opt for alternatives like "a number of them", "several of them", or "multiple of them" to maintain a professional tone.

How does "various of them" differ from "various ones" in meaning?

While both attempt to convey the idea of diversity within a group, "various ones" is grammatically sound. "Various of them" is considered incorrect, so "various ones" is the better option.