Booher's Rules of Business Grammar - Dianna Booher 2009

The kaleidoscope effect
Verbosity about verbs: The big blunders

A AND THE BEFORE AMOUNTS

As a kid, did you ever look through a kaleidoscope to see all the different colors, shapes, and designs blend into one another as you turned the lens from side to side? By turning the lens in one direction, you could make the shapes expand. By turning the lens in the opposite direction, you could make the shapes melt back on top of each other into one larger design.

Placing the article a or the in front of a noun that means a fraction or an amount has that same kaleidoscope effect. Those articles either expand or contract the meaning of the amounts that follow.

Let’s say your boss calls you into his or her office and says, “I want to talk to you about a number of things?” Would you bet on a one-item agenda or several? Several, right? Likewise, the article a before one of these “amount” words typically expands the meaning—makes the meaning plural. The narrows the meaning to a single total: “The number of people attending the conference is small.”

In a nutshell, the verb choice depends on whether the nouns in the group act as a group or individually. The article in front of them (a or the) tells the story by expanding or contracting the meaning.

A number of people have called to complain. (many acting individually—plural)

But: The number who asked to have their service disconnected is small. (one total referred to as a group—singular)

Memory tip

Visualize the kaleidoscope effect of a number or the number as it expands or limits the meaning of your subject.