[Grammar] “Have’’ or “has’’?

[on the way]

Hello, everyone. I have a question to ask. Which of the following two sentences is grammatically correct?
A large quantity of books has been destroyed in the fire.
A large quantity of books have been destroyed in the fire.
Any reply would be appreciated.

 

[Tarheel]

I wouldn't use either. Try:

Many books were destroyed in the fire.

 

[bubbha]

Hello, everyone. I have a question to ask. Which of the following two sentences is grammatically correct?
A large quantity of books has been destroyed in the fire.
A large quantity of books have been destroyed in the fire.
Any reply would be appreciated.

I'm a native speaker of English. I must confess, this question has puzzled me too for many years. I've seen both structures used by native speakers and I've heard arguments for and against both.

I don't know which one is technically correct. But in my opinion, you can use either one.

 

[teechar]

Which of the following two sentences is grammatically correct?

Both are grammatical. However, the real question is: which is more appropriate?

In my opinion, "have" is more appropriate in the above. This is because the focus is on books, not on quantity.

However, consider the following sentence:

A large quantity of books was/were taken into account when calculating the shipping cost.

In the above sentence, the focus is on quantity. Thus, the singular verb (needs) would be more appropriate.

 

[Yankee]

Popular usage vs. correct grammar. Subject: "quantity"/Verb: "has".

 

[GoesStation]

Popular usage vs. correct grammar. Subject: "quantity"/Verb: "has".

Both versions are grammatically correct.