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Is the following sentence correct?

A number of researchers are expected to attend the conference

Notice that the sentence is using the plural verb "are" after "researchers" but I don't know if it needs the singular verb "is" instead, since it says "A number" before "researchers".

Andrew T.
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Manuel Hernandez
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    *A* number *are* expected. *The* number expected *is* astounding. – zondo Apr 10 '16 at 02:29
  • There is a bucket load of answers suggesting that it depends [on the context](http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/35265/a-lot-of-ideas-is-or-are#comment118624_37597) in which the word is being used. And by bucket load, I mean that there are at least two. – joeytwiddle Apr 10 '16 at 19:29

2 Answers2

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Idiomatically, the expression a number of works the same way as words and phrases like many, several, quite a few, or plenty of. Therefore, it's:

  • Many researchers are expected to attend.
  • Several researchers are expected to attend.
  • Quite a few researchers are expected to attend.
  • Plenty of researchers are expected to attend.
  • A number of researchers are expected to attend.
J.R.
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  • Thanks J.R. You answered my question just right, thank you very much. – Manuel Hernandez Apr 10 '16 at 03:26
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    Oddly, this one can be different used definitely than when used indefinitely. ***A** number of researchers **have** noted that **the** number of researchers involved in their field **is** falling.* – tchrist Apr 10 '16 at 13:35
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    Easy way to remember it - "a number of", let's call the number 'x': "x researchers are" -- oh, that was easy :) – OJFord Apr 10 '16 at 15:44
  • @tchrist - In the first case, the verb is relating specifically to the researchers. In the second, it's relating specifically to the *number*. Using a different word: "***The** team of researchers **are** looking into the reasons that **a** number of researchers **are** leaving the field*." – Darrel Hoffman Apr 10 '16 at 19:15
  • @DarrelHoffman That may be a bad example. "The team of researchers is [...]" is perfectly valid and commonly used, and would be appropriate in your example. You may want to read up on collective nouns. See for example http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/collectivenoun.htm and http://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/658/the-group-of-fifty-people-is-are-going-to-arrive-thursday-which-is-prefe – hvd Apr 10 '16 at 20:02
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Does double plural bother you? "Researchers" can be taken as a a job classification, The statement said that there are a indeterminate group of "men/women? going to join that are researchers. Singular would have said one of a group of researchers.

What is the meaning of "IS"

YTMAN
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