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grammatical number - More than 1000 gallons of paint is/are sold each day





Plural/singular verb agreement with units
Does modifying a collective noun with a number make the subject plural?



Can anyone help me determine the correct verb in this sentence? I am not sure what to do. If it were not such a complex introductory phrase, it would be more obvious. The general consensus of my friends who are not professional writers is that the verb should be are.


To me the question is whether or not the subject is singular (i.e., “a large collective volume of paint”, perhaps in a tank) or plural (a lot of the individual gallon containers of paint).


If simplified to other options, it would be like these:



  1. Paint is sold.

  2. Gallons of paint are sold.

  3. More paint is sold.

  4. More gallons of paint are sold.

  5. More than 1000 gallons of paint is sold. [emphasis on total volume]

  6. More than 1000 gallons of paint are sold. [emphasis on individual containers]




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