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Inchoateknowledge Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

a large number of

1font00Hi02font02br
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01font00".01b00A02b00 large number 01b00of02b00 invitations have been sent.02br
01b00A02b00 large number 01b00of02b00 invitations has been sent. (slightly formal)"02font02br
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01font01font01b01i00a number of02i02b02font00 means several and is a quantifier that modifies the subject 01font01i01b00invitations02b02i00 02font01font00in the above sentences02font00.02font02br
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01font00My question is:02font00 02br
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01b00"A02b00 large number 01b00of02b00 01font00invitations has02font00 been sent." In this case, what does 01font00slightly formal02font00 mean?02br
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00Does it mean that it does not follow the strict grammatical rules (SV agreement), therefore not so formal?02br
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00Or does it mean something else?02br
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00thx0-
  

Top answer

02br 02br 00I'd use "has" in:02br 00«His telephone number has been sent to you»02br 02br 00But in your case, not the number is sent, but invintations. 0-

— Ant_222

  • 02br 02br 00I'd use "has" in:02br 00«His telephone number has been sent to you»02br 02br 00But in your case, not the number is sent, but invintations.
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21 Answers
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0 To me — it doesn't follow grammar rules.02br
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00I'd use "has" in:02br
00«His telephone number has been sent to you»02br
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00But in your case, not the number is sent, but invintations. 0-
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0 To me, it means that, while both versions are acceptable, you'll find the latter more often on formal occasions (speeches, official publications...). It's a statement about situational appropriateness, rather than grammatical "correctness". But the effect is slight.02br
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00Btw, none of the two versions violate Subject-Verb-agreement. The subject is "a large number of X"
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01cite10Dawnstorm12cite10To me, it means that, while both versions are acceptable, you'll find the latter more often on formal occasions (speeches, official publications...). It's a statement about situational appropriateness, rather than grammatical "correctness". But the effect is slight.12br
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10Btw, 11font
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0Hi Incho02br
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00Besides Cambridge Advanced Dictionary, which states that "A large number of invitations has been sent" is correct, I cannot find this version in the English usage books that I have. I wonder whether the dictionary has made a typing mistake. I'm not saying I'm better than the lexicographers but, through my experience, dictionaries sometimes make mistakes
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01cite10Inchoateknowledge12cite10"depending on how I interpret" -- you mean I have the choice to adjust the verb form to the notion the subject suggests to me? 12br
10and that it is a matter of taste?12br
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11font10Invitations12font10 is the subject, thus, stric
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0 Dawnstorm,02br
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00I don't like syntax-level rules for their formality.02br
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00What do you think of my explanation?02br
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00In English number can mean both multiplicity and a number in math sense.02br
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00In "A number of invitations" the former is the case.02br
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00«A multiplicit
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0 01blockquote
00Besides Cambridge Advanced Dictionary, which states that "A large number of invitations has been sent" is correct, I cannot find this version in the English usage books that I have.12blockquote
10It doesn't match the usage of AmE; maybe it's only used in BrE.02br
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00 For either AmE or BrE, I don't think you can go
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0It is not BrE either. All the English usage books I have touch on BrE. I've come across "A number of ..." in many usage books and the verb that follows is always 'are'. But when it is "The number of ...", then 'is' is used with it.0-
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Yoong Liat12cite10It is not BrE either. All the English usage books I have touch on BrE. I've come across "A number of ..." in many usage books and the verb that follows is always 'are'. But when it is "The number of ...", then 'is' is used with it.12br
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10A large number of stu
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Ant_22212cite10Dawnstorm, I don't like syntax-level rules for their formality. What do you think of my explanation? In English number can mean both multiplicity and a number in math sense. In "A number of invitations" the former is the case. «A multiplicity (set) of invitations haS been sent to you». To avoid co
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