Question tag — The majority of people agreed...

[man of manners]

Hi!
This is a new thread in which we will discuss some problematic sentences that need suitable question tags.
The sentence is:

The majority of people agreed, ..............?

Thanks in advance!

 

[man of manners]

I think the question tag is: "didn't they?"

 

[kilroy65]

I think you're right.

 

[man of manners]

What I said was my own opinion. Do you have any other opinions?

 

[man of manners]

I only ask if there is any other opinion. I know you approved the first answer, but what does this have to do with my question?

 

[GoesStation]

I suspect you're wondering if anyone will suggest didn't it, agreeing the pronoun with the singular "the majority". Nobody would say that. The majority of a plural is a plural, just like most or many.

 

[man of manners]

I suspect you're wondering if anyone will suggest "didn't it", agreeing the pronoun with the singular "the majority".

In fact, I am not. But I only wanted to make sure that the thread is already done with so that I can start another one.

 

[man of manners]

A final addition:
I think also the word "minority" also is plural, isn't it?

 

[GoesStation]

In fact, I am not. But I only wanted to make sure that the thread is already done with so that I can start another one.

It would be a polite, mannerly gesture to give the forum a rest from this unpopular topic. Do you have some more realistic questions about English?

 

[man of manners]

No.

Why not? I think "minority" refers to a group just as "majority".

It would be a polite, mannerly gesture to give the forum a rest from this unpopular topic. Do you have some more realistic questions about English?

These threads I post are not unpopular. Maybe to you as a native, but, to non-natives, it is a real problem.
As you can see, these threads have far more views than any others, which indicates they are accepted or known.
Also, once I am done with a thread, I let it go.

 

[GoesStation]

A final addition:
I think also the word "minority" also is plural, isn't it?

No. The plural of minority​ is "minorities".

 

[man of manners]

No. The plural of minority​ is "minorities".

You seem to have misunderstood what I meant.
What I meant was that "majority" is treated the same way as "minority" because both of them refer to a group.
Recently, I have used the, very trusted, Oxford Learner's Dictionary to define "majority/minority" and I was surprised to know that both of them can take a singular of a plural verb so I am asking what pronoun can replace any of them if they take a plural verb/a singular verb/a verb from whose form we cannot know whether the subject is singular or plural such as the verb when conjugated in the past simple like the one used in the original sentence.

 

[GoesStation]

Oxford is correct, of course. But not every usage admits both numbers. For example, The majority of people enjoy Pokémon Go (plural only). A majority in the Senate supports the measure (singular only).

I'll leave it to a more experienced analyst than me to elucidate the rule.

 

[man of manners]

The majority of people enjoy Pokémon Go (plural only). A majority in the Senate supports the measure (singular only).

Well, if all of you agree on this, then the question tag must be "didn't they?" without any doubt.

 

[Skrej]

It would be a polite, mannerly gesture to give the forum a rest from this unpopular topic.

I've just been amazed at how many tourists are still throwing bread at the 1,500 lb. duck, not realizing it had long teeth and a roar instead of a yellow bill and a funny quack.

I stopped tossing bread after the OP's refusal to accept the futility of unnatural tags.

 

[man of manners]

I've just been amazed at how many tourists are still throwing bread at the 1,500 lb. duck, not realizing it had long teeth and a roar instead of a yellow bill and a funny quack.

I do not understand what you are saying. You mean I am making them angry?

I stopped tossing bread after the OP's refusal to accept the futility of unnatural tags.

This question exactly is very ordinary and we answered it fast. It is natural as I see.

 

[GoesStation]

This question exactly is very ordinary and we answered it fast. It is natural as I see.

I have to agree. This was a valid question with a nonobvious answer.