Which is correct, "A
number of staff was available at all times" or "A number of
staff were available at all times?"
When the article
a
is used with
number,
number is plural. Therefore, you should use
were in that sentence:
"A
number of staff were available at all times."
Because of the complexity of the English language, as shown in the
example above, lack of subject-verb agreement is one of the most
common grammar errors in business documents. This series will help
you increase your knowledge of 12 essential subject-verb agreement
rules. We'll start
with the first two rules:
- Make every verb agree in number
with its subject. If the subject is
singular, use a singular verb; if the subject is plural, use a
plural verb.
Examples:
This computer
(singular)
is
(singular) advanced.
These computers
(plural)
are (plural) advanced.
- Find the subject
of the sentence, and make the verb agree with it.
Do not be misled by words or phrases
that come between the subject and the verb.
NOTE: Often the phrases
that come between the subject and the verb are prepositional
phrases. Learn to recognize these common prepositions:
| about |
around |
between |
for |
on |
under |
| above |
at |
beyond |
from |
over |
until |
| across |
before |
but (except) |
in |
past |
unto |
| after |
behind |
by |
into |
since |
up |
| against |
below |
down |
like |
through |
upon |
| along |
beneath |
during |
of |
to |
with |
| among |
beside |
except |
off |
toward |
|
Those prepositions and the nouns that follow them (objects of
the prepositions) are prepositional phrases. Objects of
prepositions cannot be subjects.
Examples:
The letter
