TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Help with sentence structure... From:"Wollt, Richard C RV" <rcw1 -at- PO9 -dot- RV -dot- UNISYS -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 30 Oct 1996 12:09:00 CST
It seems to me that "...a high number of records *are* retrieved." would be
best. If you were referring to the number as an entity, as in "...the
number of responses is unusually high" the singular would fit, but your
example seems to need the plural.
Just my $0.02
Richard Wollt
rcw1 -at- rsvl -dot- unisys -dot- com
----------
|From: TECHWR-L
|To: TECHWR-L
|Subject: Help with sentence structure...
|Date: Wed, Oct 30, 1996 9:21AM
|I swear my brain has decided to turn off today. Which of the
|following is correct:
|...more may be required if a high number of records *is* retrieved
|...more may be required if a high number of records *are* retrieved
