Quick grammatical question.

[Howard]

Is it:

The majority of the Chinese populace was farmers...

OR

The majority of the Chinese populace were farmers...

 

[Jzero]

I think it's "was," since it refers the majority, which is singular. I could be wrong.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Howard
Is it:

The majority of the Chinese populace was farmers...

OR

The majority of the Chinese populace were farmers...

The majority of the Chinese populace was farmers 🙂

edit: I stand corrected 😱

 

I'd go with "were."

 

[Howard]

I was thinking like Jzero, but then "was" didn't sound quite right.

🙁

 

[Nocturnal]

When it's time like this my teacher just said to use the one that sounds right, and were sounds more right than was.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Howard
I was thinking like Jzero, but then "was" didn't sound quite right.

🙁

It doesn't sound like the way most people talk, but was is the correct grammatical choice 🙂

 

[glen]

The verb does refer to majority so the correct form is were.

 

[DigDug]

Say:

The majority of the Chinese populace was made up of farmers.





This way, you emphasize the singularity of majority to the point that 'was' doesn't sound awkward.

 

[dighn]

majority could go either way. since it refers ot people i guess you use were based on google search results

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: BlipBlop
Say:

The majority of the Chinese populace was made up of farmers.





This way, you emphasize the singularity of majority to the point that 'was' doesn't sound awkward.

Oooh, thanks!

 

[C'DaleRider]

When majority refers to a particular number of votes, it takes a singular verb:Her majority was five votes. His majority has been gorwing by 5 percent every year.

When it refers to a group of people or things that are in the majority, it may take either a singular or plural verb, depending on whether the group is considered as a whole or as a set of people considered individually.

So we say The majority elects (not elect) the candidate it wants (not they want), since the election is accomplished by the group as a whole; but The majority of the voters live (not lives) in the city, since living in the city is something that each voter does individually.

 

[xirtam]

HAHAHAHA you was wrong.