AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH GRAMMAR & LANGUAGE
         Many        were invited but a few have                     Example:
           ̄           ̄                                               Half of the workers            are on strike today.
      Subject      Plural Verb                                                        ̄               ̄
     attended the ceremony.                                                    Plural Noun Plural Verb
     12. After – Both of / A few of / Few of / Many of, etc.,        t But, the exception is – If the noun is uncountable, it
the noun or pronoun is plural, which is followed by a plural    is always singular and the verb is also singular.
verb.                                                                Example:
     Examples:                                                       Three fourths of the majority             has been elected.
     Many of the visitors         are European.                                                   ̄               ̄
                        ̄          ̄                                                     Singular Noun        Singular verb
                        Noun     Plural Verb                         17. After – More than one, there is always a singular
                                                                noun followed by singular verb.
     13. After – Many / A great many / A good many, etc.,
the noun is always plural, which is followed by a plural             Example:
verb.                                                                More than one hall                   is booked.
     Example:                                                                           ̄                   ̄
     A great many girls             are swimming in the pool.                        Sing. Noun          Sing. Verb
                        ̄            ̄                                 But, there is an exception.
                                                                     t Look at the construction: After – More + Plural Noun
                      Noun       Plural verb
                                                                + than one, the verb is always plural.
     But there is an exception.
                                                                     Example:
     t After ‘Many a’, both the noun and verb in a sentence
                                                                     More workers than one are late.
are always singular.
     Example:                                                                    ̄                  ̄
     Many a song           is soothing.                                 Plural Noun          Plural Verb
                                                                     18. If There / It is used as introductory subjects in a
                  ̄          ̄
                                                                sentence, then the verb with There is decided considering
           Sing. Noun Sing. Verb                                the usage of number and person of the noun that comes
     14. After – A number of / A large number, etc. the noun    after There.
is plural, which is followed by a plural verb.                       Example:
     Examples:                                                       There was a               tiger in the village.
     A number of students             have taken the test.                     ̄                   ̄
                          ̄             ̄                               Singular verb        Singular noun
                     Plural Noun      Plural Verb                    There were two          tigers in the village.
     But, there is an exception.                                               ̄                 ̄
     After – The number of, however, the noun is plural, the
                                                                       Plural Verb         Plural Noun
verb is always singular.
                                                                     19. If with the construction: Numeral + Plural Noun,
     Examples:
                                                                there is any definite unit / distance / weight / height, etc.,
     The number of low-floor buses is increasing in Delhi.      then the verb is always singular.
                                   ̄      ̄                            Example:
                                Plural Singular                      Ten thousand rupees                 is a good amount.
                               Noun       Verb                                            ̄                ̄
     15. After – Some / Some of / All / All of / Enough /             Numerical      Plural noun        Singular verb
Most / Most of / A great deal of / Lots of / A lot of / Plenty
                                                                     Five tons of     rice             is enough for my family.
of, etc., if there is a countable noun, it is always a plural
one and also the verb is plural.                                                        ̄                ̄
     Examples:                                                       Numerical Plural noun Singular verb
          All men           are mortal.                              But there is an exception.
                                                                     t If it refers to different units in the construction of
                ̄            ̄
                                                                Numerical Adjective + Plural Noun, then it takes a plural
      Plural Noun        Plural Verb
                                                                verb.
     Lots of actors            were present in the show.
                                                                     Example:
                  ̄               ̄                                    Fifty thousand rupees              have been spent for the
            Plural Noun       Plural Verb
                                                                                           ̄              ̄
     16. After – Half of / One third of / Two thirds of /
                                                                     Numerical Plural noun Plural verb
Three fourths of, etc. if the noun is countable, it is always a
plural and also the verb is plural.                                  construction.
                                                            SEE–13