a number of vs number of

Both 'a number of' and 'number of' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'A number of' is used when referring to an unspecified quantity of something, while 'number of' is used when specifying a quantity without the indefinite article 'a'.

Last updated: March 28, 2024 • 1332 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"a number of"

Use 'a number of' when referring to an unspecified quantity of something. It is followed by a plural noun.

Examples:

A number of students attended the seminar.
There are a number of reasons for his absence.
She has a number of books on the shelf.
A number of people have complained about the noise.
There were a number of errors in the report.

Show examples from the web [+]

Nov 11, 2023 ... Examples of a number of in a Sentence. Recent Examples on the Web In this position, Hitler began a surgical manipulation of the German political ...
For example, A number of tours are available, or We've visited a number of times. This idiom often is modified by an adjective giving some idea of quantity, as ...
Dec 8, 2019 ... Adding a number of years to a date ... OK, I am really struggling with this one! ... In column C “Expiry” I want it to add “Qualification duration” ...
May 3, 2023 ... Specify a number of features returned by a trace? ... Hi All,. I have a workflow where I'm trying to identify the "parent" feature of any given ...
Jan 16, 2014 ... The expression "a number of" also belongs to the same category—it is always followed by the plural form, as in "a number of days passed" or "a ...
Oct 19, 2023 ... I've shed a number of tears since last weekend... --> First of hope, as I stood in line to cast my vote in the Australian referendum to ...
How to create a number of associated tickets property for Contacts and Companies · Head to settings in your portal clicking the gear icon on the top right ...
Sep 7, 2023 ... 8300 likes, 321 comments - limoblaze_ on September 7, 2023: "I and @adaehimoses have had a number of memorable collaborations and “Talk ...

Alternatives:

several
many
a few
a handful of
a couple of

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"number of"

Use 'number of' when specifying a quantity without the indefinite article 'a'. It is followed by a plural noun.

Examples:

The number of students in the class is 30.
There are a number of books on the shelf.
The number of people attending the event exceeded expectations.
She mentioned the number of errors in the report.
The total number of participants is 100.

Show examples from the web [+]

And each wish corresponds different number of pigeons.
The table below shows the applicable number of days.
These are a number of collectibles.
A number of further European Parliament changes is proposed.
Indicate number of samples taken and rejection criteria.
MEPs made a number of recommendations.
Reduced number of infringement cases of EU legislation attributable to LIFE interventions.
Count the number of plants showing symptoms.
The Rothe report contains a number of constructive proposals.
Experts have warned of a growing number of addicts.
The Cardiff Summit will consider a number of issues.
They have counted the number of resolutions adopted which criticise China.
Available for all models; limited number of characters.
Mr Wiersma's report offers a number of suggestions.
Guests can enjoy a number of exciting activities nearby.
The corresponding calculation contains a number of conservative estimates.
Haematuria/ proteinuria occurred in a small number of patients.
Over time the number of these reactions decreased.
The ECAF foresees a number of alternative credit assessment sources.
Iteration is the number of repetitions of effect when applying filter.

Alternatives:

quantity of
amount of
total of
figure of
count of

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a number of vs number of

"a number of"

"number of"

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