You are correct. And you are wrong. First: You are correct that the verb should match the number of the subject.
Second: Most people interpret the subject to be "things" not "Number of" So if things is plural then have is the answer. Bob Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: % This list has some language lawyers. Here's a question about the % English language. % % Which of these is grammatically correct? % "There have been a number of things." % or % "There has been a number of things." % % It always been my understanding that the verb should match the number % of the subject. The subject is "a number", which is singular, so % the correct verb is "has been". % % "There has been a letter." % "There has been a number." % "There has been a number of things." % % Microsoft Word (runs on Linux under Crossover Office) flags "has been" % as an error but accepts "have been". % % Is Bill's own word processor wrong, or am I? % % -- % Bob Miller K<bob> % [EMAIL PROTECTED] % _______________________________________________ % EUGLUG mailing list % [email protected] % http://www.euglug.org/mailman/listinfo/euglug ----- John Sechrest . Helping people use . computers and the Internet . more effectively . . Internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED] . . http://www.peak.org/~sechrest _______________________________________________ EUGLUG mailing list [email protected] http://www.euglug.org/mailman/listinfo/euglug
