Number of vs Numbers of – Usage Guide

Both represent a large quantity. Number of and numbers of is a confusing topic because there is only a difference of a letter in it. But actually, it is just the same word in a different form. There is just a difference of a letter. The word number, is in the singular form, whereas the word numbers, is in its plural form. So, let’s see how to use them:

How and When to Use ‘Numbers of’?

‘Numbers of’ is mainly accompanied by plural verbs like are, were, etc. for example,

  • The numbers of oranges in the box are 5

It is a word in its plural form. But to differentiate this with ‘number of’ is tricky. ‘Numbers of’ is not used so widely. It is used when you have to mention a plural quantity individually, and not collectively, or it is used directly before a quantity. For example:

  • I finally got the numbers of Mark, Rosa, and Jeff.
  • It is hard to remember all the numbers in the multiplication table.

How and when to use ‘Number of’?

‘Number of is mainly accompanied by singular verbs like is, was, etc. For example:

  • The number of oranges in the box is 5

This is used more commonly than the earlier one because it seems less complicated. Even this is used to represent a large quantity. Yet, here are some examples to understand better:

  • The number of people in the stadium is uncountable for me
  • I have reminded you this a fair number of times

Summing up

Sometimes it becomes very difficult to choose between the two because in some cases, both turn out to be correct! But it is also important to understand that in most cases, only one is correct. An easy way to understand this is:

  • Mainly, singular verbs come after ‘Number’
  • Mainly, plural verbs come after ‘Numbers’

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