various
various — adjective
1. used for saying that several things or people in a group are not of the same kin
used for saying that several things or people in a group are not of the same kind, but instead cover a range of different types.
The library offers various workshops on topics such as cooking, coding, and gardening.
various + plural noun (workshops)
Hari has tried various methods to improve his sleep, from meditation to changing his diet.
There are various reasons why the Okafor family decided to sell their house.
Diego found various old coins in the drawer, each from a different country.
The charity supports various projects that help children learn to read.
- different
focuses on unlikeness between items; 'various' adds the idea that the group contains several types
- diverse
suggests a wider, more striking range of differences than 'various'; more formal
- a range of
emphasises the spread across types rather than the fact of difference itself; more informal
文法句型
various + plural noun
用法筆記
Only placed before a noun — it cannot follow a linking verb. For example, you can say 'various opinions exist' but not 'the opinions are various' (use 'different' instead: the opinions are different).
常見錯誤
various — pronoun
1. used as a pronoun to refer to several individual people or things from a larger
used as a pronoun to refer to several individual people or things from a larger group, with each one seen as separate from the others.
Various of the guests arrived early and helped set up the tables.
various of + the + plural noun (guests)
The teacher reviewed the essays, and various of them contained interesting ideas.
various of + pronoun (them)
Various of the trees in the park were planted over a hundred years ago.
Mayumi interviewed the volunteers, and various of them had worked with the charity before.
- several of
more common in everyday speech; 'several' emphasises quantity (more than two, not many) without the 'of different kinds' nuance
- a number of
neutral in register; focuses on count rather than difference between individuals
文法句型
various of the + plural noun
various of them / us / you
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'of' plus a determiner (the, these, his, our, etc.) and a plural noun or object pronoun. This pronoun use is chiefly found in formal or written English; in everyday conversation, 'several of…' or 'some of…' are preferred.