GRAMMAR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT - 6

A number of, a small number of, a large/great number of + plural noun
=PLURAL VERB:

 A number of colleges have amalgamated to form the new universtiy.

 There are a large number of centres where you can take fulltime courses.

 The company now has a large number of workers who feel badly let down.

The number of + plural noun = SINGULAR VERB:

 The number of youngsters involved in crime is 

 frighteningly increasing nowadays. 

 The number of students now supporting the principal has increased significantly.

[a number of boys = ധാരാളം ആണ്‍കുട്ടികള്‍; the number of boys = ആണ്‍കുട്ടികളുടെ എണ്ണം]

A good/great deal of, a large amount of  + uncountable noun (milk, water, oil, rice, wheat, etc) = SINGULAR VERB:

 A large amount of water is wasted every day. 

 A great deal of time has been spent for the compilation of my dictionary.

A lot of, lots of, the rest of, the greatest part of + plural noun = PLURAL VERB:

A lot of, lots of, the rest of, the greatest part of + uncountable noun = SINGULAR VERB:

 A lot of candidates have written the same wrong answer.

 The rest of the eggs are broken.

 Lots of money was wasted for the building.

 The greater part of the money was wasted.

 The greater part of the mangoes are rotten.