Talk:Mastotermes

Insects Mid‑importance

	Insects portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject Insects, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of insects on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.InsectsWikipedia:WikiProject InsectsTemplate:WikiProject InsectsInsects articles
Mid	This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the project's importance scale.

Palaeontology Low‑importance

	Paleontology portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject Palaeontology, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of palaeontology-related topics and create a standardized, informative, comprehensive and easy-to-use resource on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.PalaeontologyWikipedia:WikiProject PalaeontologyTemplate:WikiProject PalaeontologyPalaeontology articles
Low	This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale.

"a number is (are)"

To avoid repetition of the erroneous correction of the text "A number of extinct taxa are known from fossils" to "A number of extinct taxa is known from fossils", I note from H.W. Fowler, (A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 2nd ed. [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1965].):

"When the word 'number' itself is itself the subject it is a safe rule to treat it as singular when it has a definite article and as plural when it has an indefinite. 'The number of people present was large', but 'A large number of people were present'. In 'Before the conclave begins in a fortnight's time a number of details has to be settled' the singular is clearly wrong; it is the details that have to be settled, not the number; 'a number of details' is a composite subject equivalent to 'numerous details'"

In the present context, "are" is clearly correct. FredV (talk) 02:15, 26 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]