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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Number or amount

Hi. Which is correct? Or could it be that they mean the same?

289 is the largest number (amount??) of people we have had since the inception of this organization.
  

Top answer

Use "number" if you are counting them. Compare these two: That episode generated the highest number of letters from viewers that we've ever received from a single show. That episode generated the greatest amount of reader response that we've ever received from a single show.

  • Use "number" if you are counting them.
  • Compare these two: That episode generated the highest number of letters from viewers that we've ever received from a single show.
  • That episode generated the greatest amount of reader response that we've ever received from a single show.
  • The number of letters is someting you can count, but the "response" is something you can't, so "number" for the first but "amount" for the second.
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1 Answers
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Use "number" if you are counting them.

Compare these two:

That episode generated the highest number of letters from viewers that we've ever received from a single show.
That episode generated the greatest amount of reader response that we've ever received from a single show.

The number of letters is someting you can count, but the "response" is something you can't, s

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