Subject-Verb Agreement: Quantity Words

Subject-Verb Agreement: Quantity Words

Quantity words can be used alone or used to modify a noun. Some are singular; some are plural; some can be used to indicate either singular or plural, depending on the noun they refer to.

Words Expressing Quantity
With Singular Nouns and Verbs	With Plural Nouns and Verbs
much	many
(a) little	(a) few
a great deal (of)	several
a large amount (of)	a large number (of)
less	fewer
another	both

Examples

Much has been accomplished.

Many have gained from the recent stock market rise.

Few of his fans are buying his recent book.

You will see less used in place of fewer in journalism, in advertisements ("Less fancy features, more safety!"), and supermarket signs ("12 items or less"); but in formal writing, use only fewer to refer to a plural word.

Example

More movies have been made this year than last, but fewer have made money.

	Words Expressing Quantity
	Used with both Singular and Plural Verbs

all
any
more
no
part (of)
some

a lot of
half of
most
none
other

Examples

You gave me some information. More is necessary.

You gave me some facts. More are needed.

All the students look healthy.

All the furniture looks old.

Note:

Some writers prefer to use a singular verb after none (of), since none means "not one": None of the contestants has smiled. However, as the American Heritage Dictionary points out, "The word has been used both as a singular and a plural noun from Old English onward." A singular or plural verb is therefore technically acceptable: None of the authorities has (or have) greater tolerance on this point than H. W. Fowler.