"at the age of" vs "at age"

Question

Which sentence sounds better/more natural?

She first became aware of it at the age of five.

or

She first became aware of it at age five.

I encounter "She was his age", why there is no "at"? – Zhang Jun 27 '21 at 12:06 — Zhang, Jun 27 '21 at 12:06

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Jul 20 '13 at 13:25

5

The only difference is in register: they're both equally valid in professional writing. Writing “at the age of five” is more formal, while “at age five” is more technical or direct.

Modern and effective language tends towards brevity, so the second wins in that sense.

edited Jul 20 '13 at 13:25

tchrist

134,759

answered Jul 20 '13 at 01:54

cacahootie

166
1

the sentence is intended for a novel. So I guess number two. – wyc Jul 20 '13 at 01:56

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 20 '13 at 07:25

0

if you want to use in formally the first one better and second one is also correct but it should be not so formal to speak.

So speak this.

She first became aware of it at the age of five.

answered Jul 20 '13 at 07:25

Java D

885

When you say "to use in formally"? Do you mean "to use it formally" or "to use it informally"? – TrevorD Jul 20 '13 at 12:18

"at the age of" vs "at age"

2 Answers2