Tackling More Tricky Word Choices: Another Look at Number Is and Number Are
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Tackling More Tricky Word Choices: Another Look at Number Is and Number Are
Recently we’ve been reviewing word choices with nuances worthy of noting. Understanding subtleties of meaning and usage makes the instruments in our toolboxes even sharper for precise and eloquent writing.
Today we’ll look at another English-usage item that can sometimes be tricky even for experienced communicators.
When using the word number as a collective noun for countable items, which statement would you use?
A number of factors is weighing on her decision.
A number of factors are weighing on her decision.
In The Number vs. A Number, we put forth that number with the singular definite article the would be followed by a singular verb while number with the singular indefinite article a would prompt a plural verb. Thus, of the examples above, we would use:
A number of factors are weighing on her decision.
This guideline remains useful for subject-verb agreement in writing. At the same time, number may still pose a greater challenge to agreement than a collective noun such as none. None can more easily lend itself to a plural sense (“not any”) as well as a singular meaning (“not a single one”). This frees the object of the modifying prepositional phrase to help govern verb usage.
Examples
None of my co-workers are going to the seminar. (plural prepositional object, plural verb)
None of the team has reported to spring training yet. (singular prepositional object, singular verb)
What makes none more versatile is its lack of a preceding article. When acting as a subject, number will always require an article, often creating an underlying instinctive sense of quantity. This informed our earlier guideline for subject-verb agreement.
Depending on your circle of influence, some writers, instructors, and grammarians may insist that number is always a singular collective noun. Technically, their argument would pass inspection, just as our guideline would.
In the end, the truth comes down to what sounds right to your writer’s ear and whether you want to emphasize a plural or singular image. Number could be singular to you at all times, or it might seem either singular or plural according to its context. If ever you’re in doubt, you can apply our guideline of the number = singular verb and a number = plural verb and know your writing is still moving as it should.
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
A friendly note to any readers wanting advice for British English:
British English generally uses notional agreement, so it would be “None of the team have reported to spring training yet.”
We appreciate the comment; however, we want to remind our readers that we are an American English website. Those wanting advice on British English should look elsewhere.
Thanks for your ongoing communications. Grammar is one of my pet studies. I always use “none” as a singular subject, because I learned that it means “not one” or “no one”. Of course, the world is quickly getting rid of the same rule for the “one” nouns (anyone, everyone) and following them with “their” instead of “his or her,” since the latter is awkward and the formerly universal “his” is no longer politically correct.
I’ll be one of the last purists, and then the new generations can do whatever they want!
Many of us find comfort in remaining loyal to rules we learned from our school teachers. Nonetheless, we refer you to our Note located between Rules 8 and 9 on our Subject-Verb Agreement page.
In this vein, and to remind you that we are traditionalists at heart too, you may want to have a look at How Can They Be Singular? and Singular They Part II.
You might be interested in reading our posts None Were vs. None Was, Singular They Part II, and How Can They Be Singular?
“Number” vs “Amount”
I notice an increasing tendency, in speech and in some writing, for “amount” to be used where I would have expected to hear or see “number.” For example, “A large amount [number] of people gathered to hear the speaker,” or “The library held just a small amount [a few] books on that subject.”
We agree that amount is incorrectly used in those sentences. As we mention in the Amount, Number entry in our Confusing Words and Homonyms section on our website, “Use amount for things that cannot be counted, and number for things that can be counted.”