Majority/minority: is or are?
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We asked which form of the verb should go in each of the blank spaces.
1. A sizable majority __________(feel/ feels)?/p>
2. A sizable majority of teachers ___________(feel/ feels) ?/nobr>
3. Of those who use an on-line service, the vast majority _______(go/goes)
on-line everyday.
A:
It sounds better to my ears to use the plural when the 慺eelers?are
identified (teachers, in this case). When they are not identified梬hen
they are a group (vast majority, sizable majority)梩he singular sounds
better to me.
Dace Kezbers
dkezbers@uic.edu
A:
It's all the same! Like 揟he government/police/team, etc. has/have
made an important decision.?Depends on whether you know the people
concerned, have梠r want to create梐n emotional link with them, and whether
you want to consider them as individuals etc. Think about, e.g., 揟he
team enjoys training activities?vs. 揟he team enjoy their training
activities.?Am I wrong? Let me know.
Helen Tooke
hctooke@tin.it
[From The Grammar Exchange team:
Indeed, the majority of our group agree with Dace, and think the verbs
should be (1) feels, (2) feel, (3)
goes.]
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