number concord with quantifying determinerss

[Kondorosi]

One of a handful of companies (to have) gone to the wall.

The task is: Diagram the sentence with the right form of (to have).

[Frank Antonson]

"has"
The subject is "one". The plural is within a prepositional phrase, which is a modifier.
Right?
LF
PS I am going to try to do school again today, so I won't just be sitting at my computer as I have been.

[Kondorosi]

"has"
The subject is "one".

A group of candidates are waiting in the hall. -- What is the number of the subject in this sentence?

The plural is within a prepositional phrase, which is a modifier.
Right?
LF

That is right, but it is the same with

A handful of candidates

.

PS I am going to try to do school again today, so I won't just be sitting at my computer as I have been.

Happy to hear that you are up and about again.

[Frank Antonson]

There are two prepositional phrases there. The second modifies "handful". In any case, what is within the prepositional phrases is irrelevant. The subject is singular.
(I'm back in school, and doing all right.)
LF

[Kondorosi]

There are two prepositional phrases there. The second modifies "handful".

One of a handful of companies (to have) gone to the wall.

Is it not the other way around: handful modifies companies?

one of the not too many companies = one of the handful of companies

[Frank Antonson]

Well, it appears very simple to me that the prepositional phrase "of companies" is modifying the object of the preposition in "of a handful" which is modifying the pronoun (acting as simple subject) "one".
When I was a kid in school, we had exercises like this and it seemed very logical to me that the subject -- not its modifiers -- determined number.
In a sentence like "The group of students is excited" the question is a little trickier, but I would still say, "singular".

[Kondorosi]

Notional concord?

[Frank Antonson]

I am not familiar with that term.
What makes it more complicated is that "group" is a "collective noun". Still, there is only one group.
Incidentally here across the Atlantic we call "concord" "agreement".
LF

[Kondorosi]

This is how I feel comfortable with the diagram:



'handful of' is a phrasal preposition

[Frank Antonson]

I disagree with the "handful" part. A say it is a noun, the object of the preposition "of" and modified by "a". It, the word "handful", is in turn modified by the prepositional phrase "of companies" What kind of "one"? What kind of "handful". Both prepositions are adjectival.
LF