The expression the
number is followed by a singular verb
while the expression a number is followed by a plural verb. Examples: The number of people we need to hire is thirteen.
When we use a number of?
The expression “a number of” also belongs to the same category—it
is always followed by the plural form
, as in “a number of days passed” or “a number of people were present.” Do not be misled by the indefinite article “a” in that expression: the expression is always used to indicate more than one of something and …
What is the difference of a number of and the number of?
2) “
The number of” takes a singular verb
.
For example, we would say “The number of crimes in New York has increased this year.” There might be 56 more crimes committed this year compared to last year. … “The number of x” takes a singular verb; “a number of x,” a plural verb.” (Einsohn, A., The Copyeditor’s Handbook, p.
What is the difference between the number of students and a number of students?
in sentence (1), “The number of students”, we refer to “the number”, so verb is in
singular
form. in sentence (2) – “The number of students” and sentence (3) – “A number of students”, we refer to “students”, so verbs are in plural form.
Is the number of singular or plural?
Therefore, the term “a
number of” will always be plural
because the object of the preposition “of” (i.e., the word that follows “of”) will always be plural.
What does twice the difference of a number mean?
Difference indicates subtraction: The difference of a number and 9 is (x−9) Twice the difference means
2(x−9)
We know that the answer to this is 2 , so as an equation: 2(x−9)=2.
Has been a number or have been a number?
“The number” is singular
. “A number”, however, is plural, and takes a plural verb. Thus, for both informal and formal usage, the following is correct: A number of questions have been asked here.
Can we use the with numbers?
Numbers: one, two, three
We most commonly use
cardinal numbers as determiners
(before nouns). When we use them in this way, we can use other determiners such as articles (a/an, the) and possessives (my, your) in front of them. … We also use cardinal numbers as nouns: The children arrived in twos and threes.
How many is a number of?
:
more than two
but fewer than many : several There are a number of different options to choose from.
How do you use large amounts?
A large number of is
used before plurals
, and the verb that follows is plural. Despite the instructions, a large number of people didn’t know what to do.
Has or have with students?
Students
is a plural noun and hence it takes have.
Is each of the students singular or plural?
They are always singular
, though. “Each” is often followed by a prepositional phrase ending in a plural word (“Each of the students”), which confuses the verb choice. Each, too, is always singular and requires a singular verb. Example: Everyone has gone.
What is singular number in English grammar?
Singular number is
used when the noun refers to one item
. Plural number is used when the noun refers to more than one item. Countable nouns have both singular and plural forms. Uncountable nouns and mass nouns do not normally have a plural form.
Is as well as singular or plural?
When “as well as” is
attached to a singular subject
, the subject stays singular (“ the astronaut [as well as the robots] is . . .”). Although grammatically correct, such a construction can sound awkward. Don’t be afraid to rephrase.
What does 2 times the difference mean?
Explanation: Twice means two times; Difference means
subtraction
.
What does most mean in math?
it can be 10 , or any number less than 10 . So, the phrase ‘x is at most 10 ‘ means ‘x≤10 x ≤ 10 ‘.
