RP Listener Forum

Posted: Mar 23, 2013 - 6:31pm

lester wrote:

"Firefly" or "lightning bug"?

Sci Fi show or cocktail?

Posted: Mar 23, 2013 - 5:16pm

lightning bug

Posted: Mar 23, 2013 - 5:13pm

"Firefly" or "lightning bug"?

Posted: Mar 5, 2013 - 8:38am

ScottFromWyoming wrote:

But back to the topic for a minute... it's interesting that "a number" is the only term that takes the plural verb.

There is a metric crap-ton of dog turds in our yard.
There is a plethora...
There are a number of dog turds in our yard.
I suppose that saying "there is a number of dog turds" could lead to some confusion whereby people think my dog has arranged his turds into a figure 4. Or that there is a number and that number is four and four is the number of dog turds. So I guess over time people just settled on the plural treatment not for any positive logical reason but because to go with the singular leaves the reader wondering exactly what the number is. I don't think one is more correct grammatically, but "number" has the unfortunate problem of making people think of precision when the writer actually is being deliberately vague. So from now on I think I'll try to avoid "a number of" because it's just rude to use it and make the reader think well if there's a number then why not tell me? Oh, it's a plethora? Then I don't care, I know it's a lot, that's good enough.

Maybe you should look into getting one of these

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 10:37pm

ScottFromWyoming wrote:

But back to the topic for a minute... it's interesting that "a number" is the only term that takes the plural verb.

There is a metric crap-ton of dog turds in our yard.
There is a plethora...
There are a number of dog turds in our yard.
I suppose that saying "there is a number of dog turds" could lead to some confusion whereby people think my dog has arranged his turds into a figure 4. Or that there is a number and that number is four and four is the number of dog turds. So I guess over time people just setled otn the plural treatment not for any positive logical reason but because to go with the singular leaves the reader wondering exactly what the number is. I don't think one is more correct grammatically, but "number" has the unfortunate problem of making people think of precision when the writer actually is being deliberately vague. So from now on I think I'll try to avoid "a number of" because it's just rude to use it and make the reader think well if there's a number then why not tell me? Oh, it's a plethora? Then I don't care, I know it's a lot, that's good enough.

In my case, I didn't know the exact number so I was trying to be vague. "Some" would have been vague enough. I didn't want to use "a few" or "several" because I didn't really know.

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 10:09pm

NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote:

metric crap-ton is going into my next financial report.

But back to the topic for a minute... it's interesting that "a number" is the only term that takes the plural verb.

There is a metric crap-ton of dog turds in our yard.
There is a plethora...
There are a number of dog turds in our yard.
I suppose that saying "there is a number of dog turds" could lead to some confusion whereby people think my dog has arranged his turds into a figure 4. Or that there is a number and that number is four and four is the number of dog turds. So I guess over time people just settled on the plural treatment not for any positive logical reason but because to go with the singular leaves the reader wondering exactly what the number is. I don't think one is more correct grammatically, but "number" has the unfortunate problem of making people think of precision when the writer actually is being deliberately vague. So from now on I think I'll try to avoid "a number of" because it's just rude to use it and make the reader think well if there's a number then why not tell me? Oh, it's a plethora? Then I don't care, I know it's a lot, that's good enough.

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 10:07pm

NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote:

gaggle
slew
murder

just some of my current favorites

In this case, I think I should have said, "a few," but as I was writing about attorneys, gaggle would have worked just fine.

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 9:57pm

ScottFromWyoming wrote:

passel
buttload
plethora
metric crap-ton
brazilian

metric crap-ton is going into my next financial report.

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 9:52pm

NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote:

gaggle
slew
murder

just some of my current favorites

passel
buttload
plethora
metric crap-ton
brazilian

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 9:49pm

OlderThanDirt wrote:

Good advice. I should have thought of that. I could just as easily have said,"There are a half dozen or so . . ." or "There is a fistful of . . ." but there's that question again. You're right, I like "some."

gaggle
slew
murder

just some of my current favorites

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 9:24pm

ScottFromWyoming wrote:

I came into this thread late and saw that after a couple of false starts, the advice straightened out and got you the right answer, so I didn't pile on. But "a number of" is also a little flouncy writing when "some" will usually do. Which brings up the point I always remember too late: the easiest solution to a grammar quandary is to rewrite

Good advice. I should have thought of that. I could just as easily have said,"There are a half dozen or so . . ." or "There is a fistful of . . ." but there's that question again. You're right, I like "some."

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 9:11pm

OlderThanDirt wrote:

That was interesting! Thank you all for your input. The distinction between "The number of" (singular) and "A number of" (plural) tells me that it is not an easy choice to make.

I reopened my Word doc with WordPerfect and ran its grammar checker (the English teacher from hell), and its opinion agrees with Word. "The subject, number of . . . (plural nouns) usually requires a plural verb." So, I believe the preponderance of opinion is with "are.There are a number of divergent opinions on this subject, and I don't think any of them are terribly wrong.

I came into this thread late and saw that after a couple of false starts, the advice straightened out and got you the right answer, so I didn't pile on. But "a number of" is also a little flouncy writing when "some" will usually do. Which brings up the point I always remember too late: the easiest solution to a grammar quandary is to rewrite

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 8:06pm

That was interesting! Thank you all for your input. The distinction between "The number of" (singular) and "A number of" (plural) tells me that it is not an easy choice to make.

I reopened my Word doc with WordPerfect and ran its grammar checker (the English teacher from hell), and its opinion agrees with Word. "The subject, number of . . . (plural nouns) usually requires a plural verb." So, I believe the preponderance of opinion is with "are.There are a number of divergent opinions on this subject, and I don't think any of them are terribly wrong.

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 10:12am

fidget wrote:

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 6:14am

Antigone wrote:

Would you say "There are a number"? Without the "of" phrase?

I hope neither of us will have to burn our English degrees.

I believe it depends on the context how the word "number" is used. According to the Gregg Reference Manual (which is not necessarily the definitive authority): "The expression 'the number' has a singular meaning and requires a singular verb; 'a number' has a plural meaning and requires a plural verb."
"The number of stores selling eight-track tapes has dropped since 2009."
"A number of stores have stopped selling eight-track tapes since Millard Fillmore wistfully insinuated his preference for cassettes."

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 6:11am

gypsyman wrote:

Dude, that makes them tight ends.

88. John Mackey. Baltimore Colts. Greatest that ever played the position. IMO, of course...

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 6:08am

oldviolin wrote:

So, there are two players on opposing teams and the number(s) on their jersey(s) is 88. {#Headache}

Dude, that makes them tight ends.

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 6:05am

gypsyman wrote:

Well, mebbe my haid will stop hurting now. We be rafflin' off tickets to the degree burnings in our next big episode, so stay tuned, folks! {#Angel}

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 6:03am

gypsyman wrote:

Well, mebbe my haid will stop hurting now. We be rafflin' off tickets to the degree burnings in our next big episode, so stay tuned, folks! {#Angel}

My 2/3 auto mechanic degree never went into numbers, but I have skimmed over the Old Testament...Does that get me in the degree club?

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 6:03am

oldviolin wrote:

So, there are two players on opposing teams and the number(s) on their jersey(s) is 88. {#Headache}

Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do...... {#Pray}