1）the number of…表示“……的数量”。

作主语的中心词时，谓语动词用单数形式，后常跟large, small等词作表语。如：

 The number of the students is very large in our school. 

我们学校的学生数量非常大。。

 The number of the students in our school is2000.

我校的学生人数是两千。

2）a number of表示“若干的；；许多的”。

起修饰作用，相当于many或a lot of，number前可以加small, large词来表示程度。

A number of+复数可数名词作主语时，其谓语动词用复数形式。如：

 A number of the students are playing football. 

许多学生在踢足球。

the number of／a number of 与主谓一致

The number of people invited to the party ____ fifty，but a

number of them ____ absent for different reasons．

A．were，was B．was，was

C．was，were D．were，were

此题应选C。注意以下两个结构：

1．“the number of +复数名词”，指数量的总和，若用作主语，其谓语用单数：

The number of people present was much greater than we expected．到场人数大大超出我们的意料。

The number of students is 4000．学生人数为 4000。

2．“a number of +复数名词”，意为“许多”（= a lot of），若用作主语，其谓语用复数：

A number of people were absent from the meeting．许多人开会缺席。

A number of bottles were broken．许多瓶子都被摔破了。

类似的有：

a．the variety of +复数名词→用作主语，谓语用单数

b．a variety of +复数名词→用作主语，谓语用复数

The variety of his books is astonishing．他的藏书的品种多得令人吃惊。

The variety of goods in this shop is rich．这家商店的品种丰富。

A variety of books have been published．已出版了各种各样的书。

学以致用：

1.            of scientists have studied             of sleep people need.

       A. A number  ; The number      B. An amount ; the amount

       C. the number ; an mount         D. A number ; the amount

2.____the books I've collected in my home_____about   10,000  copies.                                                             

    A.A number of；is              B.A number of；are           

    C.The number of；are        D.The number of；is

3. 操场上有许多学生在观看比赛，总人数高达3000多。
       ________________________________
4. 在中国有许多不同的民族，数目是56个。
       ________________________________
5. The number of trees planted in our village is never under 200 every year.
           ________________________________
6. The number of jobless people grows in the country at present. 
   ________________________________

7. My grandfather spent a large               (数量）of miney on his harm .
 
 
 

Keys:

1. D 2.D

3. A large number of students are watching the games on the playground.

    The number of them is over 3000.
4. There are a great number of minorities in China and the number reaches 56.  
5. 每年我们村植树的数目都不会少于200棵。
6. 目前国家失业人口的数目在增长。

7. amount