a number of :表示“许多”,number前可以加small ,large等词来表示程度,“a number of +复数名词”作主语时,其谓语动词要用复数形式。
A large number of students are playing football.
好多学生正在踢足球。
the number of :表示“......的数量”,其后要跟可数名词的复数形式,“the number of ”作主语时,谓语动词要用单数形式。
The number of the students is very small in our school。
我们学校的学生数量很少。
In our city there are a number of cars and the number of them is growing larger and larger.
在我们的城市有许多汽车,它的数量正变的越来越多。
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