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ESL forum >
Ask for help > A limited number...
A limited number...
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*Maria*
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A limited number...
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Dear colleagues! A stupid question but... Which is correct - "There is only a limited number of places" or "There are only a limited number of places"?
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28 Mar 2013
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ueslteacher
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A plural verb is needed after a/an (large, small, etc.) number of� Sophia |
28 Mar 2013
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Jayho
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Hi Maria
No question is stupid - consider it a mental block
This reference from trusty Purdue Owl explains it quite nicely:
In sentences that begin with there are or there is, pay attention to what follows there are or there is. This element is what determines whether you use are or is. If the subject is plural, you use are; if the subject is singular, you use is.
- There are two cookies left.
- There is one chance to make a first impression
Cheers
Jayho |
28 Mar 2013
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yanogator
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Except, Jayho, that doesn �t work here, because the element after it is the singular noun "number", which is singular, but, as Sophia correctly pointed out, we say "there are". Bruce |
28 Mar 2013
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Jayho
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Point taken Bruce - obviously I�m having a mental block too because I didn�t think about it and I was assuming that "number" was plural as is "places", and hence �are�, and not " a/the number" but now I think my reasoning may be incorrect.
For some reason, maybe a number of reasons, I can�t open Sophia�s link (or some other links either) but I�ve just googled "number of" and it�s very interesting. I�d never really thought about "number of" before.
Basically: "the number" is a singular collective noun. "The number of applicants is steadily increasing." "A number," on the other hand, is a plural form: "There are several students in the lobby. A number are here to see the president."
Here�s what Grammar Monster says but I don�t understand their toads/weeds example. Do you?
Cheers
Jayho |
28 Mar 2013
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cunliffe
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There is only a limited number of places left.
Not a stupid question, after all! Quite an interesting one that has some of us on different sides of the fence. But I�m right.  |
29 Mar 2013
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*Maria*
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The script I copied the sentence from gives �There are �. Can it be American? And �there is � British?
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29 Mar 2013
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