MAJORITY,MINORITY & PLURALITY

[dddanny2006]

Source:Manhattan SC Guide Page 46

The words MAJORITY,MINORITY & PLURALITY are either singular or plural,depending on their context.If you want to indicate the many individual parts of the totality,use a plural verb.

Example 1 :The majority of the students in this class ARE hard workers

If you want to indicate the totality itself,then use a singular verb form.

Example 2 :In the senate,the majority HAS coalesced into a unified voting block.

Here's another example that contradicts example one even though both seem to be similar in nature,yet they tend to have different plural forms.

Example 3:A majority of voters is opposed to the current policy.

Why do we use a singular verb 'is' here?Why cant 'are' fit in just like the example 1 above?

Look at the following examples too

A high percentage of the population is educated.

A high percentage of the people are happy.

In the above two examples population and people are collective nouns,yet the plural verb 'are' is used in the second sentence.

Or since 'High percentage' indicates a number/fraction if we look at it in terms of the 'of-prepositional phrase' strategy that we use in cases of SANAM:

'of the population' and 'of the people'

How do we decide on the singular/plural aspect in the above two sentences?Whether we use the Collective nouns strategy,or the Quantities or Parts strategy involving the 'of-prepositional phrase',either of them make it difficult to understand.

The majority of Congress has voted for the bill.

The majority of Senators have voted favorably

Here I dont understand why the has vs have?Can you please tell me the underlying theory that could help in clearing all the above doubts?


Thanks

Dan

[RonPurewal]

If you have "majority of ____", you go with the singular/plural classification of "____". There you go.

"People", as used in your example, is not a collective. It's a normal plural noun"”the plural of "person".
(It can be a collective when used to refer to the entirety of a particular nationality or ethnic gorup, but that's not how you've used it here.)