is there any difference ?

[Graver]

Hi guys!
Again I have a little question for you...
Is there any difference between "there are a great number of reasons/possibilities etc." and "there is a great number ofreasons/possibilities etc." ???
Thanks in advance for your replies

[banderas]

Originally Posted by Graver

Hi guys!
Again I have a little question for you...
Is there any difference between "there are a great number of reasons/possibilities etc." and "there is a great number ofreasons/possibilities etc." ???
Thanks in advance for your replies

Either works but "There are a great number of + noun in plural" makes much more sense to me.

[Snowcake]

I don't mean to cause any confusion, but since I've just remembered a similiar question that recently has been posted here, I'd like to copy David L.'s reponse to that post:

'a number of' is regarded as a 'determiner' when used with plural nouns, and so the verb is plural:

A limited number of memberships are still available.

Actually, I would agree with you, banderas.

But:

Is it possible to say "There is" but rather unusual, or is it wrong?

[banderas]

Originally Posted by Snowcake

Is it possible to say "There is" but rather unusual, or is it wrong?

I feel it is acceptable but my first choice would definitely be "There are".

[Snowcake]

Thank you, banderas.

[rj1948]

Originally Posted by Graver

Hi guys!
Again I have a little question for you...
Is there any difference between "there are a great number of reasons/possibilities etc." and "there is a great number ofreasons/possibilities etc." ???
Thanks in advance for your replies

When "a number of" is followed by plural noun it takes plural verb .
There are 'a great number of ' is correct.

[dawoodusmani]

Originally Posted by Graver

Hi guys!
Again I have a little question for you...
Is there any difference between "there are a great number of reasons/possibilities etc." and "there is a great number ofreasons/possibilities etc." ???
Thanks in advance for your replies

"A number of ..." usually requires a plural verb. In "A number
of employees were present", it's the employees who were present, not
the number. "A number of" is just a fuzzy quantifier. ("A number
of..." may need a singular in the much rarer contexts where it does
not function as a quantifier: "A number of this magnitude requires
5 bytes to store.")

On the other hand, "the number of..." always takes the singular:
"The number of employees who were present was small." Here, it's
the number that was small, not the employees.
Hope this helps!
Dawood

[rj1948]

"A number of ..." usually requires a plural verb. In "A number
of employees were present", it's the employees who were present, not
the number. "A number of" is just a fuzzy quantifier. ("A number
of..." may need a singular in the much rarer contexts where it does
not function as a quantifier: "A number of this magnitude requires
5 bytes to store.")

On the other hand, "the number of..." always takes the singular:
"The number of employees who were present was small." Here, it's
the number that was small, not the employees.
Hope this helps!
Dawood

If your interpretation is correct ,why do you use 'were' in the above sentence?

[Soup]

Hi rj1948

The main verb is at the end of the sentence:

Ex: The number [of employees who were present] was small.

[rj1948]

I'm not referring the main verb.
MY QUESTION IS:What form of verb should be used in sentences such as below.
A number of +plural noun+VERB.