ENGLISH
REFERENCE

at the age of

prep. phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

prep. phr.. You use this phrase to say how old someone was when something happened in their life.

prep. phr.. A prepositional phrase that specifies the exact age of a person when a particular event took place.


SIMPLE

She learned to swim at the age of five.

CONTEXTUAL

He moved to Canada at the age of 25 to start a new job.

COMPLEX

The prodigy composed her first symphony at the age of twelve, an astonishing feat that captivated the musical world.

Usage

This phrase is always followed by a number indicating the person's age.

Teaching tip

Contrast with the more conversational 'when [subject] was [age]', noting that 'at the age of' is slightly more formal and common in writing.

Pitfall

He started university in age of 18.He started university at the age of 18.The correct prepositions are 'at' and 'of', and the article 'the' is required before 'age'.

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