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在英文的运用中，the number of和a number of有混淆的现象；它们后面的动词和名词的数常会有问题。 在形式上，the number of 和a number of相差一点点，一个用定冠词 the；另一个用不定冠词 a.可是在语义和用法上，两者的差别就大了。稍微大意，就会犯了谓语动词和真正主语搭配不当的问题。 A number of的意思是若干或许多，相当于 some 或 a lot of，和复数名词连用。当它出现在主语前时，谓语动词和主语搭配。必要时，还可以加上形容词great, large, small, good 等。例如： ① A number of highly qualified scholars have worked in Singapore. ② A great number of junior college graduates opt for business administration courses. ③ There are a large number of teaching posts yet to be filled. ④ Only a small number of men want to be language teachers. ⑤ A good number of books in the market are examination-oriented. The number of和a number of一样，跟在后头的名词也是复数的，不同的是这里的主语是单数的 the number，不是它后面的复数名词，谓语动词必须和 the number 呼应，如： ⑥ The number of undergraduates has increased over the years. ⑦ The number of new houses is unable to cope with the ever-growing population. | 
