English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
- Number of Concord: When “number of” is used in the subject position of a sentence, it is followed by a plural noun but the verb may be singular or plural. If “number of” is preceded by the definite article, “the”, then the plural noun is seen as an entity and the verb has to be singular. If it is preceded by the indefinite article, “an”, then the plural noun is seen in diversity and the verb has to be plural:
The number of students ~were~ unimaginable. ✖️
The number of students was unimaginable. ✔️
A number of students ~was~ invited. ✖️
A number of students were invited. ✔️ - Notional Concord:
Notional Concord deals with collective nouns such as congregation, club, audience and so on. They attract a singular verb when they function in unison, and they attract plural verbs when they act in diversity or perform an action:
The committee ~were~ unanimous in their decision. ✖️
The committee was unanimous in their decision. ✔️
The audience ~was~ clapping during the performance. ✖️
The audience were clapping during the performance. ✔️
GAB
