##  [The grammar of numbers](/pecks-english-pointers/grammar-8-grammar-numbers)

##  Avertissement

Ce contenu est offert en anglais seulement.

Two plus two is four, right? Well, the more you know about language, the more you might wonder about that basic equation. Maybe two plus two *is* four, but then again, maybe two plus two *are* four.

Whether you’re an ace or airhead when it comes to math, you’ve no doubt struggled with grammar and numbers at some point. Quantities, fractions, slippery words like *total* and *majority, team* and *staff*—it’s sometimes hard to tell whether a thing is singular or plural.

##  Quantities

One of the most common number questions I get in my grammar workshops concerns whether collective nouns such as *total, number* and *majority* are singular or plural. The answer (not necessarily what participants want to hear) is, *it depends*. It depends on whether the noun refers to a single entity or to plural items and, often, on whether the noun is preceded by *a* or *the*.

Take *total, number* and *range*, for instance. When preceded by *a*, these nouns usually team up with a plural construction and are treated as plural. When preceded by *the*, they refer to a single entity and are singular.

- A total of 82 dancers *have* signed up for the cha-cha competition.
- The total *has* exceeded our expectations.
- A number of adolescents *are* wearing midriff-baring T-shirts this summer.
- The number of adolescents wearing midriff-baring T-shirts this summer *is* higher than ever.
- A range of homemade jams, jellies and chutneys *are* for sale at this year’s craft fair.
- The range of products for sale at the fair *is* staggering.

It helps to realize that when we combine such nouns with *a*, we create familiar expressions that are often synonymous with *some, many* or *numerous* and are therefore plural. This realization can help with other words, such as *bunch* and *couple*, whose number is determined more by their sense than by the preceding article.

- A bunch of us *are* headed to the drive-in for tonight’s double feature. (*a bunch* means some)
- A bunch of bananas *is* less expensive, but also less romantic, than a bouquet of flowers. (*a bunch* refers to a single entity)
- A couple of dogs *are* peeing on my lawn. (*a couple* means two)
- A couple *is* entitled to a Valentine’s discount with this vacation company. (*a couple* refers to a single entity)

*Majority* is much like *bunch* and *couple*. When it refers to a plural (which it usually does), it’s plural, but when it refers to a single entity, it’s singular.

- A majority of voters in the referendum *have* chosen to destroy their ballots. (*a majority* means most of them)
- The majority of these Pop-Tarts *have* frosted tops, but I’ll try to find you a plain one. (*the majority* means most of them)
- Because you have argued your point so persuasively, the majority *has* sided with you. (*the majority* refers to a single entity)

A couple of footnotes about *majority*: Some usage texts, such as the Oxford *Guide to Canadian English Usage* (2nd ed., 2007), remind us to avoid *majority* when writing about things that can’t be counted and can’t therefore have a logical majority—for example, work, information or time. In these cases, *most* is a better choice.

- Most \[not *the majority*\] of the time, you can count on Natalie to tell you if you’re wearing something unflattering.

Other texts, such as *Garner’s Modern American Usage* (3rd ed., 2009), go further and point out that *most* can replace *a/the majority* quite often, producing crisper prose and a more natural plural.

##  Numbers

Like nouns of quantity, other numerical expressions can shift from singular to plural, depending on whether they refer more to plural things or to a single amount.

- The three hours he spent watching *A Brief History of Horticulture* last night *were* the longest of Marvin’s life. (emphasis on the individual hours)
- Three hours *was* simply too long for a documentary on shrubs, he decided. (emphasis on the single amount)

Fine, you might say, but there are numbers, damned numbers and then statistics. True, percentages and fractions can seem perplexing, but usage authorities are consistent in their advice: the number is determined by the noun following the percentage or fraction.

- According to this survey, 64 percent of respondents *need* eyeglasses when they read.
- The consultant says that 38 percent of the database *needs* to be updated.
- As night falls on the wilderness park, one quarter of the campers *are* blaring their radios and three quarters of the campers *are* stewing.
- One quarter of the park *is* noisy; three quarters *is* silent.

##  Other collective nouns

Collective nouns that are less number-oriented can be equally troublesome. *Group, team, committee, staff* and so on—are they singular or plural? Here, usage authorities take slightly different positions depending on which side of the Atlantic they call home. In the U.K. these nouns are usually treated as plural. In North America they’re usually treated as singular, except when the members of the collective are acting independently, in which case the nouns are considered plural.

- In the photo, the team *is* holding aloft a banner that says "Debating Rules!" (the team is acting as one entity)
- The team *are* arguing among themselves about who started the on-ice fight. (the individuals are acting separately)

Though the latter sentence is correct, many Canadian editors would change it to "The team *members* are arguing . . . ." or "The *players* are arguing . . . ." to make the plural sound more natural (and to satisfy editors’ innate fussiness about consistency).

Indeed, with collective nouns, consistency matters above all. As Bill Bryson notes in *Bryson’s Dictionary of Troublesome Words*, "A common fault is to flounder about between singular and plural. Even Samuel Johnson stumbled when he wrote that he knew of no nation ‘that has preserved their words and phrases from mutability.’ " So keep the debating team singular and the hockey team plural.

##  Don’t count on numbers

And what about two plus two? The fact is that with equations, singular and plural are both correct, though singular is preferred. Once again, consistency matters more than the choice itself.

In math, it’s easy to distinguish between one and more than one. But in language, it’s not that simple. In language, it depends. The grammar of numbers is mutable, which is both the challenge and the beauty of this imperfect science.

##  Related quiz

[Test yourself—The grammar of numbers](pep-quiz/grammar-8-grammar-numbers-quiz "Test yourself—The grammar of numbers")

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