Grammar question
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Which is correct: There is a total of 20 women and children here. There are a total of 20 women and children here. Both sound OK to me. Thanks.
My latest C# extension method: public static bool In<T>(this T value, params T[] values) { return values.Any(v => v.Equals(value)); } Example: bool valid = answer.In("Yes", "No", "Dunno");
The grammar is simple for most languages I know*: the verb should match the subject; both should be singular or both should be plural. "There is a total of 20 women..." is correct because "total" (a singular set) is the subject. "There are 20 women..." is correct because "women" (a plural set) is the subject. "There are a total of 20 women..." and "There is 20 women..." are both wrong because the subjects and the verbs are in different numbers. * that's Portuguese, Spanish, English and some French and German.
Of all forms of sexual aberration, the most unnatural is abstinence.
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They're both correct. The meanings are slightly different. With "There is a total..." the subject is "a total", which is singular. With "There are a total..." the subject is "20 women and children", which is plural.
Alan Balkany wrote:
With "There are a total..." the subject is "20 women and children"
:confused: If "women and children" is the subject then what role does "total" play in the phrase?
Of all forms of sexual aberration, the most unnatural is abstinence.
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Which is correct: There is a total of 20 women and children here. There are a total of 20 women and children here. Both sound OK to me. Thanks.
My latest C# extension method: public static bool In<T>(this T value, params T[] values) { return values.Any(v => v.Equals(value)); } Example: bool valid = answer.In("Yes", "No", "Dunno");
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Which is correct: There is a total of 20 women and children here. There are a total of 20 women and children here. Both sound OK to me. Thanks.
My latest C# extension method: public static bool In<T>(this T value, params T[] values) { return values.Any(v => v.Equals(value)); } Example: bool valid = answer.In("Yes", "No", "Dunno");
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Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
Is refers to the singular and are refers to the plural.
That much I knew. But somehow "There are a total of ..." sounded a little better. After hearing enough people say it that way, I wasn't sure. But yeah, now I realize that the verb is referring to one thing: "a total".
My latest C# extension method: public static bool In<T>(this T value, params T[] values) { return values.Any(v => v.Equals(value)); } Example: bool valid = answer.In("Yes", "No", "Dunno");
The word "total" is the subject that must agree with the verb. Some words (such as "majority") can be singular or plural, depending on context. Ex: The majority of the people are here. The majority of the pie is eaten. I don't think the word total is ever plural. You would always say, "The total is [blank]" and never "The total are [blank]"
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Which is correct: There is a total of 20 women and children here. There are a total of 20 women and children here. Both sound OK to me. Thanks.
My latest C# extension method: public static bool In<T>(this T value, params T[] values) { return values.Any(v => v.Equals(value)); } Example: bool valid = answer.In("Yes", "No", "Dunno");
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Tomz_KV wrote:
Microsoft word grammer check suggest "are".
That gives me a good idea for next time, although I'm not sure about that suggestion. :~
My latest C# extension method: public static bool In<T>(this T value, params T[] values) { return values.Any(v => v.Equals(value)); } Example: bool valid = answer.In("Yes", "No", "Dunno");
modified on Friday, July 25, 2008 3:34 PM
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Alan Balkany wrote:
With "There are a total..." the subject is "20 women and children"
:confused: If "women and children" is the subject then what role does "total" play in the phrase?
Of all forms of sexual aberration, the most unnatural is abstinence.
I'd guess "total" in this case would also be a subject, but "There are" refers to the main subject, "20 women and children". It appears to be a matter of emphasis.
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The word "total" is the subject that must agree with the verb. Some words (such as "majority") can be singular or plural, depending on context. Ex: The majority of the people are here. The majority of the pie is eaten. I don't think the word total is ever plural. You would always say, "The total is [blank]" and never "The total are [blank]"
Total as a plural which is totals as we see in elections, the election totals are here.
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Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. -- Ernest Hemingway -
Which is correct: There is a total of 20 women and children here. There are a total of 20 women and children here. Both sound OK to me. Thanks.
My latest C# extension method: public static bool In<T>(this T value, params T[] values) { return values.Any(v => v.Equals(value)); } Example: bool valid = answer.In("Yes", "No", "Dunno");
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Which is correct: There is a total of 20 women and children here. There are a total of 20 women and children here. Both sound OK to me. Thanks.
My latest C# extension method: public static bool In<T>(this T value, params T[] values) { return values.Any(v => v.Equals(value)); } Example: bool valid = answer.In("Yes", "No", "Dunno");
IMO, either works for me. I usually go with the first.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Don't really trust the MS Grammar checker. :rolleyes:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Don't really trust the MS Grammar checker. :rolleyes:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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I've never really liked the grammar checker. I do look at it when there is some serious grammar mistakes, but usually wind up going my own way that I was taught in English classes in school.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Which is correct: There is a total of 20 women and children here. There are a total of 20 women and children here. Both sound OK to me. Thanks.
My latest C# extension method: public static bool In<T>(this T value, params T[] values) { return values.Any(v => v.Equals(value)); } Example: bool valid = answer.In("Yes", "No", "Dunno");
I would add some commas to make it clear There are, a total of, 20 women and children here. The subject is women and children. The commas indicate that a portion of the sentence can be removed. I had to look it up to verify.
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp wrote:
Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt the flow of the sentence.
[edit] Well, I just got in trouble with a few proofreaders I've used (trained people, not computer programs)... They agree that the commas I put in earlier weren't the best way around the problem. What do you expect after a 60 hour week editing videos? (not my real job) Their suggestion was to either drop "a total of" completely or rework the sentence to "There are 20 women and children here in total." or leave it alone
modified on Saturday, July 26, 2008 6:45 PM
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The word "total" is the subject that must agree with the verb. Some words (such as "majority") can be singular or plural, depending on context. Ex: The majority of the people are here. The majority of the pie is eaten. I don't think the word total is ever plural. You would always say, "The total is [blank]" and never "The total are [blank]"
Data is plural, but "The data ARE conclusive" sounds awful.
------------------------------------ "I want you to imagine I have a blaster in my hand" - Zaphod Beeblebrox. "You DO have a blaster in your hand" - Freighter Pilot "Yeah, so you don't have to tax your imagination too hard" - Zaphod Beeblebrox
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I would add some commas to make it clear There are, a total of, 20 women and children here. The subject is women and children. The commas indicate that a portion of the sentence can be removed. I had to look it up to verify.
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp wrote:
Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt the flow of the sentence.
[edit] Well, I just got in trouble with a few proofreaders I've used (trained people, not computer programs)... They agree that the commas I put in earlier weren't the best way around the problem. What do you expect after a 60 hour week editing videos? (not my real job) Their suggestion was to either drop "a total of" completely or rework the sentence to "There are 20 women and children here in total." or leave it alone
modified on Saturday, July 26, 2008 6:45 PM
I presume English is not your first language. (Given the Mangling shown in your example).
Brad Bruce wrote:
The commas indicate that a portion of the sentence can be removed
It does no such thing.
Brad Bruce wrote:
There are, a total of, 20 women and children here.
doesn't make sense nor is it good English. The correct use of are and total would be ... There are twenty women and children in total. However I would also suggest that there is a redundancy, as the fact is stated that there are twenty women and children, then that is the total.
------------------------------------ "I want you to imagine I have a blaster in my hand" - Zaphod Beeblebrox. "You DO have a blaster in your hand" - Freighter Pilot "Yeah, so you don't have to tax your imagination too hard" - Zaphod Beeblebrox
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I'd guess "total" in this case would also be a subject, but "There are" refers to the main subject, "20 women and children". It appears to be a matter of emphasis.