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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

singular or plural

Is the number of students studying French falling?
Five pounds is quite a lot of money to lose.
Is or are and why?
  

Top answer

com/insights/a-number-of-and-the-number-of And 'five pounds' is also considered a singular amount. Note that 'money', a non-count noun, enhances that viewpoint.

— Mister Micawber

  • com/insights/a-number-of-and-the-number-of And 'five pounds' is also considered a singular amount.
  • Note that 'money', a non-count noun, enhances that viewpoint.
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4 Answers
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Here's an interesting explanation for singular 'the number of': http://www.editage.com/insights/a-number-of-and-the-number-of

And 'five pounds' is also considered a singular amount. Note that 'money', a non-count noun, enhances that viewpoint.
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Thanks, and what about " Many species of moth have disappeared" ?
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AnonymousMany species of moth have disappeared
Fine. 'Species' is plural there; hence, the plural verb.
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AnonymousFive pounds is quite a lot of money to lose.Is or are and why?
Amounts of time, money, distance, weight, etc usually take a singular verb.

Thirty minutes is not enough time.
Fifty dollars is too much to pay for that.
Two miles is too far for the children to walk.
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