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  #1  
Old 07-Jan-2007, 20:44
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Default subject verb agreement

A large number of sudents have failed the exam.

IF I am not mistaken, have should be has.

Which is the subject in this sentence?

It is number

The parts highlighted in read are the subject modifiers.
The first verb of the finite verb phrase is have.
My grammar book says the subject-verb agreement means the subject has a relationship of concord with the verb.
The subject (number) is 3rd person singular, and the verb form is not (have)

Why is this construction still regarded standard?

Cambridge Dictionaries Online - Cambridge University Press
A small number of children are educated at home.

I would like to invite comments.
Thanks
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  #2  
Old 07-Jan-2007, 20:54
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Teia will become famous soon enough
Default Re: subject verb agreement

Quote:
Originally Posted by svartnik View Post
A large number of sudents have failed the exam.

IF I am not mistaken, have should be has.

Which is the subject in this sentence?

It is number

The parts highlighted in read are the subject modifiers.
The first verb of the finite verb phrase is have.
My grammar book says the subject-verb agreement means the subject has a relationship of concord with the verb.
The subject (number) is 3rd person singular, and the verb form is not (have)

Why is this construction still regarded standard?

Cambridge Dictionaries Online - Cambridge University Press
A small number of children are educated at home.

I would like to invite comments.
Thanks

Hi Svartnik

A [ large ]number of ... + verb in the plural

e.g. A number of workers are on strike. [ Subject- workers]- students - in your sentence

a number of- a determiner

The number of...+ verb in the singular

The number of students is ....[ Subject- number]

Although the expression 'a number' is strictly singular, the phrase 'a number of' is used with plural nouns (as what grammarians call a determiner). The verb should therefore be plural: 'A number of people are waiting for the bus'.

Thus :

The expression "the number" is singular
e.g.The number of failures is decreasing

The expression "a number" is plural
e. g. A number of people are leaving


Regards

Last edited by Teia; 07-Jan-2007 at 21:11.
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  #3  
Old 07-Jan-2007, 21:45
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Default Re: subject verb agreement

Excellent explanation, Teia.
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  #4  
Old 09-Jan-2007, 14:50
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Default Re: subject verb agreement

Quote:
Originally Posted by mykwyner View Post
Excellent explanation, Teia.

Hi Mykwyner


Thank you very much for encouraging me.

Best wishes

ps Just curious. How do you pronounce your username?

1. [m i k w i n e r]
or
2. [m i k w a i n e r]
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  #5  
Old 09-Jan-2007, 22:19
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Default Re: subject verb agreement

It rhymes with "bike liner."
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  #6  
Old 10-Jan-2007, 13:39
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Default Re: subject verb agreement

Quote:
Originally Posted by mykwyner View Post
It rhymes with "bike liner."

Hi

Oh, then ,neither 1 nor 2 is correct. I should have thought that "myk" comes from Mike .

Thank you
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  #7  
Old 10-Jan-2007, 18:25
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Default Re: subject verb agreement

Quote:
Originally Posted by teia_petrescu View Post
Hi Svartnik
A [ large ]number of ... + verb in the plural
e.g. A number of workers are on strike. [ Subject- workers]- students - in your sentence
a number of- a determiner
The number of...+ verb in the singular
The number of students is ....[ Subject- number]
Although the expression 'a number' is strictly singular, the phrase 'a number of' is used with plural nouns (as what grammarians call a determiner). The verb should therefore be plural: 'A number of people are waiting for the bus'.
Thus :
The expression "the number" is singular
e.g.The number of failures is decreasing
The expression "a number" is plural
e. g. A number of people are leaving
Regards
hello,
"A [ large ]number of ... + verb in the plural" -- this is not true
"A small number of children are educated at home."
"SLIGHTLY FORMAL A large number of invitations has been sent"
Cambridge Dictionaries Online - Cambridge University Press
MY take:
A large(modifier) number (Subject) of people (post modifier) is (verb) leaving -- number, is -- grammatical concord
number, are -- notional concord (a large number of = many)

Last edited by svartnik; 10-Jan-2007 at 18:32.
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  #8  
Old 10-Jan-2007, 18:43
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Default Re: subject verb agreement

Quote:
Originally Posted by svartnik View Post
hello,
"A [ large ]number of ... + verb in the plural" -- this is not true
"A small number of children are educated at home."
"SLIGHTLY FORMAL A large number of invitations has been sent"
Cambridge Dictionaries Online - Cambridge University Press
MY take:
A large(modifier) number (Subject) of people (post modifier) is (verb) leaving -- number, is -- grammatical concord
number, are -- notional concord (a large number of = many)

Hi Svartnik

I`m sorry but I have to contradict you.
As I have already explained "a number of" is a determiner and the SUBJECT is
"workers" [ NOT NUMBER !!]in the sentence : A large number of workers are on strike. [workers are on strike not number!!].
Large is indeed an adjective which does not have any influence on the subject-verb agreement.
See also Mykwyner`s [ who is a native !]agreement on this problem of English grammar

and some more examples :

Expressions using the phrase "number of" depend on the meaning of the phrase:
They take a singular verb when referring to a single quantity:
The number of students registered in the class is 20.
They take plural verbs when they are used as indefinite quantifiers :
A number of students were late.
Expressions of Quantity

Subjects preceded by the number of or the percentage of are singular, while subjects preceded by a number of or a percentage of are plural.
 Example: The number of vacationers in Florida is increasing.
 Example: A number of vacationers are young people. However, a large percentage of the vacationers are senior citizens.
Subject-Verb Agreement



Best wishes

Last edited by Teia; 10-Jan-2007 at 19:09.
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  #9  
Old 10-Jan-2007, 18:47
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Default Re: subject verb agreement

Quote:
Originally Posted by teia_petrescu View Post
Hi Svartnik
I`m sorry but I have to contradict you.
As I have already explained "a number of" is a determiner and the subject is
"workers" in the sentence : A large numbers of workers are on strike.
Large is indeed an adjective which does not have any influence on the subject-verb agreement.
See also Mykwyner`s [ who is a native !]agreement on this problem of English grammar
Best wishes
Hi

Being a native and being a grammarian are two things, IMO.
Do not take me wrong, I am not saying Mike is not the best grammarian in the world.
What is news to me is that the subject of the sentence is the object a preposition (of)
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  #10  
Old 10-Jan-2007, 18:49
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svartnik is a name known to allsvartnik is a name known to allsvartnik is a name known to allsvartnik is a name known to allsvartnik is a name known to allsvartnik is a name known to all
Default Re: subject verb agreement

Cambridge Dictionaries Online - Cambridge University Press
"SLIGHTLY FORMAL A large number of invitations has been sent."
Why is the verb in singular here, then?
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