Know your English
Which of the following sentences is correct? "Seventy per cent of the population are of the opinion.
Whether the verb should be the singular "is" or the plural "are" depends on the noun, which precedes it. Since "population" is one of those nouns, which can take either a singular or a plural verb, both "is" and "are" are possible. If you were to replace "population" with "people", then you would have to say, "Seventy per cent of the people are of the opinion that taxes should be reduced". Here are some more examples:
*66% of the students have said that they do not want any changes.
*20% of the money is missing.
*50% of the mothers have said that they do not vote.
Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, November 06, 2001
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