Which sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error with quantifying expressions?
- A number of students have volunteered to help with the school's annual fundraising event this weekend.
- The number of applications received this year have exceeded all previous records by a significant margin. (correct answer)
- A variety of extracurricular activities are offered to students throughout the academic year.
- The majority of the voters have expressed strong support for the proposed budget increases.
Explanation: Subject-verb agreement with quantifying expressions requires you to identify whether the expression functions as a singular or plural subject. The key distinction is between expressions that emphasize the group as a unit versus those that emphasize individual members. In sentence B, "The number of applications received this year have exceeded..." contains the error. "The number" is always singular because it refers to a specific quantity as a single unit. The verb should be "has exceeded," not "have exceeded." The prepositional phrase "of applications" doesn't change the fact that "number" is the singular subject. Choice A is correct because "A number of students" is treated as plural—it emphasizes the individual students rather than the quantity itself, so "have volunteered" is appropriate. Choice C uses "A variety of extracurricular activities," which takes the plural verb "are offered" because it emphasizes the multiple activities rather than the concept of variety. Choice D correctly uses "The majority of the voters have expressed" because "majority" in this context refers to the individual voters who make up that majority, requiring the plural verb "have." Remember this pattern: "THE number" is always singular (focuses on the specific quantity), while "A number" is plural (focuses on the individual items). Similarly, expressions like "the majority," "a variety," and "a group" can be singular or plural depending on whether the emphasis is on the unit itself or its individual members.