2.277 approximate age

When you want to talk about a person's age in an approximate way, you can do so by using

* 'in', followed by a possessive determiner, followed by a plural noun referring to a particular range of years such as 'twenties' and 'teens'

• He was in his sixties.
• I didn't mature till I was in my forties.
• ...the groups who are now in their thirties.
• ...when I was in my teens.

Note that you can use 'early', 'mid-', 'middle', or 'late' to indicate approximately where someone's age comes in a particular range years.

• He was then in his late seventies.
• She was in her mid-twenties.
• Jane is only in her early forties.

* 'over' or 'under' followed by a number

• She was well over fifty.
• She was only a little over forty years old.
• There weren't enough people who were under 25.

Note that you can also use 'above' or 'below' followed by 'the age of' and a number.

• 55 per cent of them were below the age of twenty-one.

* a compound noun indicating a group of people whose age is more or less than a particular number, which consists of 'over' or 'under' followed by the plural form of the particular number

• The over-sixties do not want to be turned out of their homes.
• Schooling for under-fives should be expanded.

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You can put several of the above structures after a noun to indicate the age of a person or thing.

• ...a woman in her early thirties.
• ...help for elderly ladies over 65.
• She had four children under the age of five.

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If you want to indicate that someone's age is similar to someone else's age, you can use structures such as 'of his age' and 'of her parents' age' after a noun. The 'of' is often dropped.

• In France most folk of Mike's age are doing their National Service.
• It's easy to make friends because you're with people of your own age.
• She will have a tough time when she plays with children her own age.