How to use "tens of" and "hundreds of"?

Solution 1:

In English, one would normally say "dozens of" rather than "tens of", so there is some overlap. I might use "dozens of" for an amount between 36 (a dozen, two dozen, dozens...) and 132 (a dozen less than a gross), "scores of" for a number between 40 and 199, and "hundreds of" for values greater than that. I don't think I've ever thought about the reasoning behind this; it would really depend on which number sounded better in the areas which overlap.

Solution 2:

As I understand it, the usage is:

Tens of -- rarely used; "as many as XX" might be more appropriate

Hundreds of -- any number from 100 - 999; "more than 500" might be more appropriate for numbers greater than 500

Thousands of -- any number from 1,000 to 9,999

Tens of Thousands of -- any number from 10,000 to 99,999

Hundreds of Thousands of -- any number from 100,000 to 999,999; after 250,000, it is more appropriate to use quarter, half and three-quarter million

Solution 3:

When describing victims of a disaster, "tens of" usually means less than a hundred or a bit more, and "hundreds of" can mean up to a thousand or a few more. "Hundreds of dead" could be over a thousand, but the results are still unsure.

"Hundreds of" and "thousands of" are more common than "tens of", but if I heard the statement, I would expect "tens of" to be 30 to about 120 or so. A more common phrase for the same general amount is "dozens of".

Solution 4:

I have only heard of "tens" used in, "tens of thousands." Otherwise "scores" is used. Scores being 20-199. And "hundreds" is plural so it would be 200-1999.