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Willie Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Strange subject??

Hi everone,

I came accross this sentence on Newsweek " Neither do a growing number of his countrymen; poll shows strong support....". I would say the subject is a growing number, so it should be Neither does, not do. am I wrong?

Thanks for the help

Willie
  

Top answer

Be careful with the subject, which is "his countrymen", and therefore plural. Neither do (a growing number of) his countrymen. The "a growing number of" is merely quantifying 'how many' countrymen.

— Tam Sadek

  • Be careful with the subject, which is "his countrymen", and therefore plural.
  • Neither do (a growing number of) his countrymen.
  • The "a growing number of" is merely quantifying 'how many' countrymen.
  • Hope that helps...
  • Tam
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2 Answers
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Be careful with the subject, which is "his countrymen", and therefore plural.

Neither do (a growing number of) his countrymen.

The "a growing number of" is merely quantifying 'how many' countrymen.

Hope that helps...

Tam
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a number of, a lot of, the rest of are all examples of "number-transparent" expressions. When one of these is used as the subject, the verb agrees with the noun after the number-transparent expression.

(A number of) them do ...
(A lot of) the men go ...
(The rest of) the children were ...

CJ

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