🚀 go-pugleaf

On 2010-09-28 22:21, Hanna Burdon wrote:
> On 27/09/2010 23:05, Anna Borowska wrote:
>> Witam,
>>
>> Prosze o podpowiedź:
>>
>> The majority of people are... (?)BUT A majority of people is... (?)
>>
>> i tak samo w przypadku "minority".
>>
>> Kiedy określony kiedy nieokreslony przedimek nalezy uzyc, czy ma to wplyw
>> na forme czasownika is/are ?
>>
>> Pozdrawiam,
>> Anna Borowska
>
> W obu przypadkach użyłabym "are".
>
> [google google google]
>
> Ha, zdaje się, że dla natywnych to też kwestia wyczucia i preferencji...

Eee tam...
Practical English Usage, M. Swan 3rd Ed. pkt. 526.2:

Many singular quantifying expressions can be used with plural nouns and
pronouns; plural verbs are normally used in this case.

"A number of people have tried to find the treasure, but they have all 
failed."
(More natural than A number of people has tried ... )
"A group of us are going to take a boat through the French canals."
"A couple of my friends plan to open a travel agency."
"A lot of social problems are caused by unemployment."
"The majority of criminals are non-violent."
"Some of these people are relations and the rest are old friends."
"Half of his students don't understand a word he says."

-- 
MikeR