Talk:Mastotermes

"a number is (are)"

To avoid repetition of the erroneous correction of the text "A number of extinct taxa are known from fossils" to "A number of extinct taxa is known from fossils", I note from H.W. Fowler, (A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 2nd ed. [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1965].):

"When the word 'number' itself is itself the subject it is a safe rule to treat it as singular when it has a definite article and as plural when it has an indefinite. 'The number of people present was large', but 'A large number of people were present'. In 'Before the conclave begins in a fortnight's time a number of details has to be settled' the singular is clearly wrong; it is the details that have to be settled, not the number; 'a number of details' is a composite subject equivalent to 'numerous details'"

In the present context, "are" is clearly correct. FredV (talk) 02:15, 26 September 2013 (UTC)