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- 05-Feb-2012, 07:49 #1
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Most of the class is/are very smart. "Most of the class is/are very smart." Are both "is/are" correct in combination with "class"?
- 05-Feb-2012, 09:36 #2
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Teacher Re: Most of the class is/are very smart. I feel that only 'are' is correct.
Originally Posted by birgit33 
Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.
- 05-Feb-2012, 09:48 #3
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Teacher Re: Most of the class is/are very smart. AmE users will probably prefer 'is'. BrE users will settle for either.
- 05-Feb-2012, 12:01 #4
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Teacher Re: Most of the class is/are very smart. I have just had a look through BNC and COCA. It seems that both singular and plural verb forms are equally common after 'most of + group noun' in both varieties of English, so my feeling (post #2) is clearly only a personal one.
Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.
- 05-Feb-2012, 12:25 #5
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Re: Most of the class is/are very smart. I think both can be correct.
"Most of the class is very smart" = we refer to the group of smart students as a whole.
"Most of the class are very smart" = we think about each smart student (as individuals).
It just depends on what you are trying to express.
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