Explanation | Examples | |
a number of
|
A number of means “many,”so use a plural verb.
|
A number of young people are facing sleep problems
|
the number of
|
The number of means “the amount,” so use a singular verb.
|
The number of teenagers with sleep problems is rising.
|
neither/nor
|
The noun closest to the verb determines if that verb is singular or plural.
|
Neither the students nor the teacher is to blame if the results are poor
|
either/or
|
The noun closest to the verb determines if that verb is singular or plural.
|
Either me or our specialists are at your service 24 hours a day.
|
not only/but also
|
The noun closest to the verb determines if that verb is singular or plural.
|
Not only your immune system but also your mind suffers if you don’t sleep well.
|
Explanation | Examples | |
would rather
(’d rather) |
We use would rather to express a preference in English.
|
I would rather complete one more level today.
I’d rather go out for dinner. I’m hungry. |
had better
(’d better) |
We use had better when we give advice to others. The meaning of had better is similar to should.
|
You had better stop it now.
You’d better not ignore your studies. |