Today I ran across one more sentence where I didnrrrt know whether to utilize a singular or plural verb.
Confounding Sentence:
A full of 37 water wells [is / are] required to go to this level of manufacturing.
The word "total" is unique, even so the expression "37 wells" would certainly demand a plural action-word. Flummoxed again, I'd to look look it up.
Enter Mentor Jan Velupe Yopp, trainer of the sentence structure procedure at the August 2005 Initiate for Midcareer Duplicate Publishers, hosted by the University of Idaho University of Literature and also Mass Connection. The best professor suggests to utilize singular verb with quantity, bunch, pack, in addition to group.
Examples:
A sufficiency of tools ended up stolen from the Bandersnatch #5 software.
A bunch of employees could be gathered around the espresso pot waiting for this to finish brewing.
A deal of cigarettes costs more over a gallon of propane gas in every state.
A gang of AADE members is actually writing The Drilling Encyclopedia.
Other get worse words such as number, majority, and total usually are singular if beat by "the,In yet plural if preceded by "a."
Examples:
A amount of people believe that oil prices will go up. (dual, preceded by a)
The number of people that believe that essential oil price ranges will go up is growing. (singular, the)
A most of Virginia residents support offshore burrowing. (dual, preceded with a)
The most of Virginia occupants can be supportive associated with just offshore drilling. (single, a)
A total of 15 reservoir technical engineers had been transferred offshore. (plural, preceded by way of a)
The overall of 15 water tank engineers was much less expensive than the number needed. (singular, the)
So we ought to return to our Confounding Time period and see which action-word we have to use. Because phrase "total" is preceded simply by "a," it should be dual, therefore:
A entire of 37 water bores are needed to reach this kind of volume of production.
Prepositional key phrases following your subject frequently don't affect the action-word tense, in accordance with Educator Yopp, except in the case of "percent," as we discovered last night.
Examples:
The contracts board regarding six technicians in addition to three legal professionals complies with every Tuesday.
One throughout several summer interns may be provided a full-time occupation soon after graduation.
These single themes take a unique action-word even though your prepositional expression containing a new plural comes with shod and non-shod.