which of them are

USAGE SUMMARY

"which of them are" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are asking someone to identify one or more items from a list. For example, "Which of the items on the grocery list are absolutely necessary?".

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But which of them are true and which are false? 1 Milosevic was a dictator.

The Guardian - Opinion

Lenders are still fighting over which of them are entitled to the money.

The New York Times

In a significant generalization of the properties of the homogeneous operators, we show that quasi-homogeneous operators are irreducible and determine which of them are strongly irreducible.

Journal of Functional Analysis

The results of single-diode and two-diode models are evaluated in order to ascertain which of them are more accurate.

Energy Conversion and Management

The dictionary updating scheme uses the ranking results of the predicted targets to determine which of them are collected for updating.

Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation

By this, I don't mean simply reviewing recent examples of memorials and trying to decide which of them are more or less well or badly done.

The New York Times - Arts

We haven't set your networking objectives yet, but you should still have an instinctive feel for which of them are likely to be most useful to you.

The Guardian

As the students hit puberty, she claims weight becomes an issue that informs the girls' opinions about which of them are the most able, capable and attractive.

The Guardian

To create a new key, a computer picks a few thousand randomly-generated numbers and checks to see which of them are primes.

The Economist

However, cal-deliver also logged information to /var/spool/dspam/alerts, and combining that information with the delivery-cache information, I can probably figure out which of them are duplicates.

Columbia University

And the Federal Insurance Office is going to collect information about insurance companies in order to discover which of them are posing the kind of risk that AIG did, a risk that could bring down the whole system.

Yale University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "which of them are", ensure the context clearly defines the group being referenced. This avoids ambiguity and ensures the question is easily understood.

Common error

Avoid using "which of them are" when a simpler question suffices. For example, instead of asking "Which of them are cats?" in a picture with only cats and dogs, a more direct question like "Are these cats?" may be appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "which of them are" functions as an interrogative clause, prompting the identification or selection of specific items from a predefined set. It is frequently used to elicit information about the characteristics or status of elements within a group, as shown by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

32%

News & Media

32%

Academia

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "which of them are" serves as a versatile interrogative clause, commonly employed to identify or categorize specific elements from a group. Ludwig's analysis confirms its widespread use across diverse contexts, including science, news, and academia. While grammatically sound and frequently used, writers should be mindful of context and avoid redundancy by opting for simpler phrasing when appropriate. As Ludwig AI shows, this phrase is correct and well-supported by numerous examples from authoritative sources. The high frequency and consistent application across multiple domains highlight its reliability and importance in effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

which ones are

This alternative is more concise, replacing "of them" with "ones" for a slightly shorter phrasing.

which of those are

This alternative uses "those" instead of "them", indicating a more direct reference to a specific group.

which elements are

This alternative replaces "of them" with "elements", suitable when referring to components or parts.

what are they

This alternative shifts the focus slightly, emphasizing identification rather than selection.

which specifically are

This alternative emphasizes specificity, highlighting the need for precise identification.

can you identify which ones are

This alternative adds a direct request for identification, making it more explicit.

which items belong to the group

This alternative uses a formal expression to ask about belonging.

what is the status of each

This alternative focuses on the status or condition of each item, rather than selection.

how many of them are

This alternative changes the focus to quantity, asking for a count rather than identification.

what are the characteristics of each

This alternative focuses on describing features rather than selection, offering a more detailed inquiry.

FAQs

How to use "which of them are" in a sentence?

Use "which of them are" to inquire about specific attributes or conditions applying to members within a defined group. For example, "We have several candidates; "which of them are" qualified for the position?"

What can I say instead of "which of them are"?

You can use alternatives like "which ones are", "what are they", or "can you identify which ones are" depending on the context and desired level of formality.

When is it appropriate to use "which of them are" over other similar phrases?

"Which of them are" is appropriate when you need to specifically identify members from a group based on certain criteria. For example, "Out of these proposals, "which of them are" feasible within the current budget?"

Is "which of them are" formal or informal?

"Which of them are" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though it leans slightly towards a more considered or deliberate tone compared to very casual alternatives.