在英文的运用中,“thenumberof”和“anumberof”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,“thenumberof”和“anumberof”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.

　　“Anumberof”的意思是“若干”或“许多”,相当于some或alotof,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：

　　①AnumberofhighlyqualifiedscholarshaveworkedinSingapore.

　　②Agreatnumberofjuniorcollegegraduatesoptforbusinessadministrationcourses.

　　③Therearealargenumberofteachingpostsyettobefilled.

　　④Onlyasmallnumberofmenwanttobelanguageteachers.

　　⑤Agoodnumberofbooksinthemarketareexamination-oriented.

　　“Thenumberof”和“anumberof”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thenumber,不是它后面的复数名词,谓语动词必须和thenumber呼应,如：

　　⑥Thenumberofundergraduateshasincreasedovertheyears.

　　⑦Thenumberofnewhousesisunabletocopewiththeever-growingpopulation.

　　⑧Thenumberofcollegegraduatesinacountryreflectsitsculturalstandard.

　　这三个句子里的thenumber的性质和下列主语一样：

　　⑨Theworkoflabtechniciansisdullbutimportant.

　　⑩Thedevelopmentofalanguagecentreinvariablyinvolveslong-termplanning,adequatehumanresources,andup-to-datefacilities.

　　11.Theorganisationoflarge-scalemusicalconcertscallsformuchtimeandenergy.

　　写像上面这样句子的人很多,但是由于真正主语和谓语动词隔得太远,一不小心,就出现了动词和主语不呼应的语法错误,如下：

　　12.Thenumberofforeignworkerskeeponincreasing.

　　13.Thenumberofclassrooms,offices,andteachingfacilitiesarefarfrombeingsufficient.

　　14.ThestreamingofstudentsinSingaporeandJapandiffer.

　　15.Thecauseofstudentmobsinsomecountriesarerelatedtogovernments'dictatorship,corruptionandill-treatmentofundergraduates.

　　16.TherapidopeningupofChina'seconomyinrecentyearshavepromptedourbusinessmentoventureintotheChinesemarket.

　　12-16里的谓语动词全部要变成单数才对：keeps;is;differs;isrelatedto;hasprompted.