Ch 36 · Lesson 19Spanish · Chapter 36 · Lesson 19 · Grammar primer
La mayoría de, un par de, más de
, , (a plural verb), and against . Plus the mistakes.
The short version
After , the verb is usually plural
.
Why?Hide
is singular, but with and a plural noun most speakers make the verb agree with the noun: . The singular is correct too, just less common. and work the same way.
counts,
, .
Why?Hide
'More than' splits on what comes next. A number or a quantity takes : , . A person or thing being compared takes : . One sentence can carry both, which is the fastest way to feel the difference in your ear.
Measure phrases: un par de, la mayoría de
Spanish has ready-made phrases for amounts, almost all built with :
| Phrase | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| most people | |
| half the students | |
| loads of work | |
| a couple of days | |
| a dozen eggs | |
| a of apples | |
| a little water | |
| some money | |
| a few friends |
and go with things you cannot count (water, money). and go with things you can (friends, days). agrees: .
Una manzana: one apple. Unas cuantas manzanas: a few apples. Unos cuantos agrees with its noun, so the apples make it unas cuantas.
The verb after la mayoría de
is singular, but with and a plural noun most speakers make the verb plural. The singular is correct too, just less common:
| Verb | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| plural | . | Most students work. |
| singular | . | Most students work. |
| plural | . | Half the books are mine. |
| plural | . | A couple of friends came to see me. |
With both are heard ( or ); the singular is the safer choice in writing. With a singular noun the verb is singular: . - Most people work.
Más de or más que
"More than" splits on what comes next. A number or an amount takes ; a person or thing being compared takes :
| What follows | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| a number | | more than a hundred people |
| an amount | | less than half |
| a person | . | He/She knows more than me. |
| a thing | . | He/She runs more than his/her brother. |
| a clause | . | It costs more than I thought. |
One sentence can hold both: , . - There were more than a hundred people, more than last year.
The twist: in a negative sentence, no... means only:
.- I only have ten euros..- I have no more than ten euros.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| it describes : never changes | |
| it describes a verb: never changes | |
| never agrees | |
| with a noun, agrees | |
| an interval takes | |
| takes no article | |
| is singular | |
| a number takes |
Going further: Quantifiers at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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