1
  1. An additional 550 units are to be built in other settlements in the West Bank.
  2. Additional 550 units are to be built in other settlements in the West Bank.

Usually, an or a is definitely not required before plural noun. But it seems I should choose option (1) here. Why?

J.R.
  • 108,719
  • 9
  • 160
  • 287
Mike Philip
  • 1,075
  • 6
  • 30
  • 55
  • The word _additional_ functions as an attribuitive modifier, as an answer to your previous question explains. Moreover, _additional_ and _extra_ are synonyms. – J.R. Aug 17 '18 at 10:34

1 Answers1

0

In the example, "additional" represents a single instance of addition, therefore it is grammatical to include "an", even though the noun itself is in its plural form.

david_c
  • 574
  • 3
  • 10
  • Can I delete "an"? – Mike Philip Aug 17 '18 at 08:31
  • 2
    No, while removing it doesn't mean the sentence is not understandable it does make it ungrammatical. Option 2 would be rarely used, if ever, and maybe only in the context of short/informal headlines e.g. on a news headline. – david_c Aug 17 '18 at 08:34
  • 1
    @david_c - Absolutely. And the rest of headline would be similarly shortened as well: _Additional 550 Units to Be Built in West Bank Settlements_ – J.R. Aug 17 '18 at 10:27