kinds

kinds — noun

1. the plural form of 'kind', used when talking about more than one group of people

1.名詞A1
釋義

the plural form of 'kind', used when talking about more than one group of people, animals, or things that share the same features, or when listing two or more different types of something.

例句

The shop sells many kinds of bread, from soft white loaves to dark rye.

many kinds of + plural noun

Paloma keeps three different kinds of cats at her farm in Spain.

different kinds of + plural noun

同義詞
  • types

    fully interchangeable in everyday speech; slightly more neutral and slightly more common in writing

  • sorts

    very close in meaning; more common in British English everyday speech

  • varieties

    emphasises differences within a single broader group, often used for plants, food, products

  • categories

    more formal; suggests an organised classification system rather than casual grouping

文法句型

kinds of + plural noun

different kinds of

用法筆記

Plural form; pairs with quantifiers like 'many', 'several', 'two', 'three', 'all', 'different'. After 'kinds of', the following noun is usually plural ('kinds of dogs') or uncountable ('kinds of music'). Distinguish from sense 2 ('kinds of' as a softening hedge before an adjective or verb).

常見錯誤

❌I like this kinds of books.
✅I like these kinds of books.
💡use a plural demonstrative ('these', 'those') with plural 'kinds', not the singular 'this'.
❌There are many kind of birds in the park.
✅There are many kinds of birds in the park.
💡after quantifiers like 'many', 'several', or numbers above one, use the plural 'kinds'.

2. in casual spoken English, used inside the phrase 'kinds of' (more often singular

2.名詞B1
釋義

in casual spoken English, used inside the phrase 'kinds of' (more often singular 'kind of') to make a following statement sound less direct or less certain — similar to 'somewhat' or 'a little'.

例句

These kinds of awkward moments at parties make Yasmin want to go straight home.

these kinds of + adjective + noun for vague grouping

Mei said the new café feels kinds of cosy, though the chairs are a bit hard.

informal hedge: kinds of + adjective

同義詞
  • sort of

    the British-leaning equivalent; same softening function, same informal register

  • somewhat

    formal written equivalent; safe in essays and reports where 'kinds of' would feel too casual

  • a little

    more concrete; works well before adjectives describing feelings or states

反義詞
  • completely

    opposite end of the certainty scale; use when there is no hedge

  • definitely

    removes the softness entirely; signals full commitment to the claim

文法句型

kinds of + adjective

kinds of + verb phrase

用法筆記

Heavily colloquial; the singular form 'kind of' (and the spelling 'kinda') is far more common than 'kinds of' in this hedging use. Distinguish from sense 1, where 'kinds of' counts genuine categories — here it weakens an adjective or verb instead.

常見錯誤

❌The report was kinds of finished by Monday.
✅The report was kind of finished by Monday.
💡for the hedging use, the singular 'kind of' (or 'kinda') is the natural everyday form; the plural 'kinds of' here sounds odd.
❌I kinds of agree with you.' (in formal writing)
✅I somewhat agree with you.
💡avoid the hedge in essays, emails to teachers, or business writing; use 'somewhat' or 'a little' instead.