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- the majority of + plural noun + singular vs. plural verb
The majority of cars on the street are white The plural is used because "most" means the a countable number of cars, all of which are white The majority of cars run on gasoline The plural is used because "most" indicates a countable number of cars And here are some valid examples of using the singular: The majority of the pie is burnt
- Most vs. Majority - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
Traditionally, 'majority' is only used with countable nouns (cars, people etc), whereas you could use 'most' for non-countable nouns (eg "most of the water spilt") However, like the historic difference between 'fewer' and 'less', the rules are not always strictly obeyed in everyday speech and even in less formal written English
- meaning - the majority of vs. a majority of - English Language . . .
The majority as a whole cannot have "a mustache" Each individual does or does not have a mustache So "The" or "A" majority of men do not have a mustache Or "The" or "A" majority of men do not have mustaches One would use the singular only when talking about the majority itself rather than the members of that majority
- What is the difference in meaning between A majority of and The . . .
The majority of the students are expected to vote in the class election This sentence seemed not very natural to me, but it is probably okay It uses the definite article before "majority of the students", as if referring to a known group But in reality it likely refers to the concept of majority (superiority in numbers)
- phrase usage - the major part vs the majority - English Language . . .
The majority is defined as "a number or percentage equaling more than half of a total" In elections the word plurality is used for the largest number of votes even if it's less than 50%: "a number of votes cast for a candidate in a contest of more than two candidates that is greater than the number cast for any other candidate but not more than half the total votes cast"
- grammatical number - which form of verb is used with majority - English . . .
The majority of the employees have university degrees A large majority of people approve of the death sentence The majority of young professionals in the capital have moved there from provincial towns In the past, the majority of women were consigned to a lifetime of servitude and poverty But the following example is also given:
- nouns - by majority vote vs. by majority votes - English Language . . .
Although "by majority vote" is commonly heard, I have also heard "by a majority vote" Further, sometimes the word 'majority' is left out altogether, as it is simply assumed that the majority vote will be the winner In this case you may hear: We will decide between the two options by a vote or We will vote to decide between the two options
- difference - majority vs great majority - English Language Learners . . .
In 1000 people, 501 are a majority, but only by two people (We can call this a "slim majority" ) 600 or 700 people is a greater majority 999 is a huge majority There is no rule for exactly what percentage makes a "great" or "vast" majority It will depend on context
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