among
among — preposition
1. with people or things on every side, so that you are positioned within them rath
with people or things on every side, so that you are positioned within them rather than outside.
Renata stood among the tall pine trees and listened to the wind.
among + plural noun (physical surroundings)
Rashida searched for her keys among the books on her desk.
among + objects (looking inside a group)
The small village sits among green hills near the coast.
There were two doctors among the passengers when the train stopped.
- amid
more formal or literary; often used with mass nouns like 'amid the noise'.
- amidst
literary variant of 'amid'; rarely used in everyday speech.
- surrounded by
longer phrase; emphasises the encircling effect more strongly.
- outside
outside the group rather than within it.
- apart from
separated from the surrounding people or things.
文法句型
among + plural noun phrase
用法筆記
Subject is usually surrounded on multiple sides; for two items only, use 'between' instead. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about physical or visual location, while sense 2 is about belonging to a group.
常見錯誤
2. counted as one member of a wider set whose members share a quality, ranking, or
counted as one member of a wider set whose members share a quality, ranking, or situation.
Linnea is among the best students in her chemistry class this year.
be + among the + superlative
Heart disease remains among the top three killers of older adults in Taiwan.
remain + among the + ranked group
Cycling to night markets is popular among university students living in Tainan.
Three members of the Wu family were among the survivors of the flood.
Rising sea levels are debated among ocean scientists at the Taipei research conference each summer.
- in the ranks of
more formal; emphasises being counted within a defined group.
- one of
simpler everyday alternative; structure is 'one of the best students'.
- amongst
British variant; identical meaning, slightly more formal feel.
- outside
not counted as a member of the group.
文法句型
among + plural noun (set of members)
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'the' + a superlative or a defined group ('among the first', 'among the best'). Distinguish from sense 1: here 'among' signals membership or shared characteristics, not physical location.
常見錯誤
3. giving a portion to each member of a set with at least three people or things, s
giving a portion to each member of a set with at least three people or things, so that everyone receives a share.
Grandfather divided his savings among his five grandchildren before he died.
divide + object + among + group
The teacher shared the snacks among the children at the picnic.
share + object + among + recipients
The bakery's profits will be split equally among the four partners after the holiday rush.
Esme distributed the homework sheets among her classmates before lunch.
- to one
given to a single person rather than divided.
文法句型
divide / share / split + among + plural noun
用法筆記
Only used when there are three or more recipients; for two recipients use 'between'. Verb is typically 'divide', 'share', 'split', or 'distribute'.
常見錯誤
4. used to name a few items as examples and hint that there are other unnamed ones
used to name a few items as examples and hint that there are other unnamed ones too.
The exhibition includes works by Picasso and Matisse, among other famous artists.
among other + plural noun (open-ended list)
Dr. Greta studies tigers, lions, and leopards, among many endangered animals.
list + among many + plural noun
The school committee discussed bus routes and lunch menus, among other topics, at Monday's meeting.
Maria speaks Spanish, French, and Mandarin, among several languages she learned in school.
文法句型
among + noun phrase (often introducing examples)
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrases 'among other things', 'among others', or 'among many'. Signals to the reader that the named items are only a partial list.
常見錯誤
5. shared only by the people in a particular group and kept private from anyone out
shared only by the people in a particular group and kept private from anyone outside it.
The sisters argued among themselves about who should pay for dinner.
argue / talk + among + reflexive pronoun
Let's keep this story among ourselves until the police finish their work.
keep + something + among ourselves (privacy)
The neighbours sorted out the parking problem among themselves last weekend.
The players whispered among themselves before the final round began.
- between ourselves
very similar; 'between ourselves' often signals a secret about to be told.
- in private
focuses on no outsiders being present, not on the group sharing.
- publicly
shared openly with everyone outside the group.
文法句型
among + reflexive pronoun (ourselves / themselves)
用法筆記
Only used with reflexive pronouns ('ourselves', 'yourselves', 'themselves'). Signals that whatever is happening stays inside the named group; outsiders are excluded.