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sort of, kind of and type of

Articles​

The article a/an is usually dropped after sort of, kind of and type of, but structures with articles are possible in an informal style.

  • That’s a funny sort of (a) car.
  • What sort of (a) bird is that?

Singular and plural; these sort of, etc​

When we are talking about one sort of thing, we can use sort of, kind of or type of followed by a singular noun.

  • This sort of car is enormously expensive to run.
  • I’m interested in any new type of development in computer science.

Singular sort of, kind of and type of can also be followed by plural nouns, especially in an informal style.

  • I’m interested in any new kind of developments …

Plural demonstratives (these and those) can also be used.

  • These sort of cars are enormously expensive to run.
  • Do you smoke those kind of cigarettes?

This structure (these sort of, etc) is often felt to be incorrect, and is usually avoided in a formal style. This can be done by using a singular noun (see above), by using plural sorts/kinds/types, or by using the structure … of this/that sort/kind/type.

  • This sort of car is …
  • These kinds of car(s) are …
  • Cars of that type are …

Softeners​

In an informal style, sort of and kind of can be used before almost any word or expression, or at the end of a sentence, to show that we are not speaking very exactly, or to make what we say less definite.

  • We sort of thought you might forget.
  • Sometimes I sort of wonder whether I shouldn’t sort of get a job.
  • I’ve had sort of an idea about what we could do.
  • She’s kind of strange.
  • I’ve changed my mind, kind of.