Expressing that something belongs to a top group without claiming it is the absolute best is a skill every English learner needs. Understanding how to use "one of", "some of" and "among" opens the door to more precise, natural sentences — and these structures appear constantly in interviews, essays and everyday conversation.
Why do we need "one of", "some of" and "among"?
Imagine three famous buildings: the Burj Khalifa (the tallest in the world), the Shanghai Tower (second tallest) and the One World Trade Center (sixth tallest). If you say "These three are the tallest buildings in the world," the sentence is not accurate because One World Trade Center is not number one or two — it is in position number six [0:42].
That is exactly where these expressions become useful. They indicate that something or someone belongs to an elite group without stating they hold the very top position.
- One of → used with a singular noun referring to one item within a group.
- Some of → used with a plural noun referring to more than one item.
- Among → works with both singular and plural nouns as an alternative.
For example: "One World Trade Center is one of the tallest buildings in the world" or "One World Trade Center is among the tallest buildings in the world" [1:24]. Both sentences are correct and mean the same thing.
How do you form sentences with superlatives?
A critical rule to remember is that after "one of", "some of" and "among" you must use the superlative form of the adjective [2:17]. The superlative is the form that expresses the highest degree: tall → the tallest, short → the shortest, nice → the nicest, big → the biggest.
What does the structure look like in practice?
Here are four examples taken from the lesson exercises:
- High → highest: "Some of the highest-paying jobs are in the tech industry." [2:52]
- Large → largest: "Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world." You could also say "Brazil is among the largest countries in the world" [3:18].
- Demanding → most demanding: "Being an air traffic controller is among the most demanding jobs in the world." The alternative "one of the most demanding jobs" works perfectly too [3:42].
- Expensive → most expensive: "These are some of the most expensive cities in the world." [4:11]
Notice that short adjectives form the superlative with -est (tallest, largest), while longer adjectives use most before them (most demanding, most expensive).
How do you choose between one of, some of and among?
The choice depends on quantity:
- Use "one of" when you talk about a single item in a group.
- Use "some of" when you refer to two or more items.
- Use "among" as a flexible synonym for either.
Keep in mind that after "one of" the noun is still plural because you are referring to the group: "one of the tallest buildings" — not "one of the tallest building."
How can you apply this in real conversations?
These expressions are especially valuable during job interviews and academic discussions. For instance, if you study online you might need to defend your choice by saying: "Online platforms offer some of the most accessible learning opportunities available today."
Try answering this question using the structures you practiced: What are some of the most important considerations when studying online? Share your answer and test how naturally you can integrate one of, some of and among into your writing.
