2006-07-28 07:20:32 · 14 answers · asked by Cosette 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
I do know the answer to this question myself. I will give the 10 points to whoever gives the correct answer and most clearly explains the reason why.
2006-07-28 10:19:23 · update #1
St. Martin's Handbook says, "Treat phrases starting with 'the number of' as singular and with 'a number of' as plural." So it should be "There WERE a number of parks."
2006-07-28 07:48:54 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I've seen the correct answer here, but I have an additional comment.
"There is," "there are," etc. are just space-fillers and usually serve no useful purpose. A better sentence would be, "A number of parks..."
The instinct is to make the verb agree with the object of the preposition, which can get a writer into trouble when the subject is singular and the object is plural.
2006-07-29 06:35:10 · answer #2 · answered by keepsondancing 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There was a number of parks is correct because the word "was" refers to "number" and not the word "parks".
Tough questions, though. I'm big on proper English, but this one confused me.
2006-07-29 09:53:25 · answer #3 · answered by just4funyall 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There were a number of parks.
2006-07-28 14:30:32 · answer #4 · answered by Solstice 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The phrase "a number of" in this case is grammatically equivalent to "a few" or "some". For instance, a number could be "three" as in "There were three parks."
You cannot say "was". You would use was if there was "a group of" parks or "a set of" parks.
"A number of" is plural.
I could be wrong, but if I am we ought to change it to what I say.
2006-07-28 14:29:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In idiomatic American English, "a number of" is always plural. "The number of" is always singular.
In Long Beach there WERE a number of parks.
The number of parks in Long Beach IS increasing.
It is a case of the indefinite article versus the definite article, rather than the subject, "number".
2006-07-28 14:51:29 · answer #6 · answered by Rico Toasterman JPA 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There were a number of parks sounds better as its the queens english, but the other one works aswell
2006-07-28 14:25:26 · answer #7 · answered by laydee_t_xx 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With this sort of thing, always try reversing it:
A number of parks were there.
"parks" is the subject, "a number of" is the modifier. The verb should be plural.
2006-07-28 15:06:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
2 one
2006-07-28 14:23:49 · answer #9 · answered by ♥l.0.v.E♥ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"There were a number of parks" is the correct answer.
2006-07-28 14:24:38 · answer #10 · answered by iandrewmom 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋