is it has or have?

One third of the work has been done.
Two thirds of the work have been done.

Unless the project was divided into three discrete tasks, I would use the singular, the same way I would for "Two miles is not too far to walk" or "I thought $200 was a good price." It refers to the overall quantity, not individual pieces.

I can't help finding it extremely bizarre to use a singular verb with two thirds.

Two miles is a dif

And do you find it equally strange to say "I think $200 is a good price"?

It's the same story.

I don't find that strange at all. I just go by what sounds good to my ear.

How about "They found that two-thirds of the money was missing."?

Well, you've got me there. Either was or were sound good to me (I'm guessing you don't favor the plural form at all), and the more I mull it over in my head, the more I grudgingly accept the singular verb in the original two-thirds example.

LIke I said, if the work had three discrete components, then "are" works because you're counting them individually.

But hey, I have all sorts of natural inclinations towards things, including pronouncing "coffee" as "CAWfee," and that's not going to change anytime soon either.

Oh, that's not bad at all. I've been trying to train myself out of pronouncing can as ken, and without much luck.

Grammar GeekUnless the project was divided into three discrete tasks, I would use the singular, the same way I would for "Two miles is not too far to walk" or "I thought $200 was a good price." It refers to the overall quantity, not individual pieces.

On the other hand, I can't imagine ever taking such factors into consideration in spoken English.

It'