Tuesday, April 30, 2013

majority are/majority is: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, April 30, 2013

majority are/majority is
“Majority” is one of those words that can be either singular or plural. Common sense works pretty well in deciding which. If you mean the word to describe a collection of individuals, then the word should be treated as plural: “The majority of e-mail users are upset about the increase in spam.” If the word is used to describe a collective group, then consider it singular: “A 90% majority is opposed to scheduling the next meeting at 6:00 AM.” If you are uncertain which you mean, choose whatever form sounds best to you; it’s not likely to bother many people.

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