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Snappy Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

The number of

Can I say, "The number of cars and car accidents is increasing," instead of "the number of cars and the number of car accidents are increasing"?
If the answer is yes, can I use the form "The number of XXX (plural), YYY (plural), and ZZZ (plural) is increasing."?
  

Top answer

In your example, accidents can be parsed as the object of the preposition "of" not part of a compound subject. eg. The number of (cars and their collisions on an overloaded road system) is increasing.

— AlpheccaStars

  • In your example, accidents can be parsed as the object of the preposition "of" not part of a compound subject.
  • eg.
  • The number of (cars and their collisions on an overloaded road system) is increasing.
  • So the subject is "number" and is singular.
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5 Answers
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In your example, accidents can be parsed as the object of the preposition "of" not part of a compound subject.

eg.
The number of (cars and their collisions on an overloaded road system) is increasing.

So the subject is "number" and is singular.
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AlpheccaStarsIn your example, accidents can be parsed as the object of the preposition "of" not part of a compound subject.eg.The number of (cars and their collisions on an overloaded road system) is increasing.So the subject is "number" and is singular.
Thanks. My point is the increment ratio of cars and the increment ratio of accidents are different from eac
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SnappyThen I wonder if it is proper to say, "The numbers of cars and car accidents are increasing."?
Yes, that seems reasonable; however, it has nothing to do with variable 'increment ratios'; it is merely that you are counting two different things.
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Then I wonder if it is proper to say, "The numbers of cars and car accidents are increasing."

cars and car accidents cannot increase.

It's the number that is increasing. So it is wrong to use numbers.
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Yoong LiatIt's the number that is increasing
Yes, and it is two numbers that are increasing; that's why I think the form is perfectly acceptable given the right situation:

A log-log plot of the numbers of vascular plant species for megadiverse countries shows...
Declines in the
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