English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
ONE RULE A DAY: CONCORD OF NUMBER OF
The number of students sitting this exam ~are~ alarming (nonstandard).
The number of students sitting this exam is alarming (standard).
A number of students ~is~ sitting this exam (nonstandard).
A number of students are sitting this exam (standard).
When “number of” is used in the subject position of a sentence, the noun or pronoun following it has to be in the plural form but the verb may be singular or plural. The verb is singular when “number of” is preceded by definite article “the”, and it will be plural when “number of” is preceded by the indefinite article “a”.
GAB
