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RE: [GWL]: grammar


Carolyn Ulrich wrote:
> ...but this raises the question of subject-verb agreement when writing 
> about percentages. i would
> say 51% of the gold in South Africa comes from Natal Province. However, 
> I would also say 51% of
> the diamonds in South Africa come from Natal Province. In this case i'm 
> letting the object of
> the preposition determine the verb instead of the subject. do the rest 
> of you do this too?

The noun and verb must agree in number.  The verb and the object of a 
preposition don't necessarily agree in number.  But, as I mentioned in a 
prior case, sometimes when the verb and the nearby object of the 
preposition don't agree, it sounds weird.  The greater the emphasis on 
the object of the preposition, the weirder it sounds when its number 
doesn't match the verb.  But is "51%" a singular or plural noun?  When 
in doubt, I switch to something simple.  What about 51% of a pie?  "51% 
of the pie is gone."  Aha.  So "%" is singular.  

So it should be "51% of the gold IS," and "51% of the diamonds IS..."  
The latter sentence may or may not be considered awkward, depending upon 
the audience.  I would leave it as it stands in a technical report in a 
scientific journal, where it will sound OK to scientists who discuss 
percents frequently.  I would probably rewrite to avoid the structure in 
work for a lay audience.  

Carol Deppe
Author of BREED YOUR OWN VEGETABLE VARIETIES:  THE GARDENER'S AND 
FARMER'S GUIDE TO PLANT BREEDING AND SEED SAVING (See table of contents, 
excerpts, & reviews at http://www.chelseagreen.com.)  

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