English grammar has its fair share of tricky rules, and concord—how subjects and verbs agree—is one of those areas that often confuses learners. Some expressions look plural but take singular verbs, while others behave the way we expect. Two such cases that I find interesting are “a number of” vs. “the number of” and “many a” and “more than one.”
1. Concord of “a number of” and “the number of”
- “A number of” is a phrase that means “several” or “many.” It refers to a plural noun and takes a plural verb.
- “The number of” focuses on the total count of something, making it a singular subject and requiring a singular verb.
Examples:
✔ A number of students are attending the workshop. (Plural)
✔ The number of students is increasing every year. (Singular)
✔ A number of complaints have been received.
✔ The number of complaints has risen sharply.
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2. Concord of “many a” and “more than one”
- “Many a” is a literary phrase that emphasizes the singular nature of each item in a group. It always takes a singular noun and verb.
- “More than one” may sound plural, but it follows singular agreement because it emphasizes “one” rather than “more.”
Examples:
✔ Many a student has struggled with grammar. (Singular). Even though we mean “many students,” we use “has” because “many a” is singular.)
✔ More than one student has passed the exam. (Singular)
✔ Many a soldier fights bravely in battle.
✔ More than one soldier fights with determination.
However, when “more than one” is part of a compound subject (e.g., “more than one thing and another thing“), the verb becomes plural:
✔ More than one student and one teacher have arrived.
