Question

请问:the number of 是用small还是用few 来修饰

the number of giant pandas is getting smaller and smaller还是fewer and fewer

Answer 1

the
number
of是……的数量，可以用small或large来修饰，不能用many或few来修饰。
英语中有两个相似的短语：a
number
of与the
number
of，二者的区别涉及到主谓一致的问题，它们修饰名词作主语时，谓语的数是不一样的。
①number
of
+名词复数
=a
lot
of
=los
of+名词复数
②a
number
of…意思是“一些，若干”(=
some)，后接可数名词复数或代词，谓语动词用复数形式。
还可以加入形容词表示数量大或小等(例如：a
large/small
number
of…许多/少数……)。
A
number
of
students
of
our
school
have
read
that
magazine.
我们学校有很多学生都看过那本杂志。
A
number
of
wild
animals
have
been
found
in
the
forest.
森林里发现了很多野生动物。
③the
number
of…意思是“……的数字/数目”，介词of同其后名词构成介词短语，修饰the
number.当它作主语时，谓语动词用单数。
例如：
Many
people
took
part
in
10,000-metre
race,
but
only
a
number
of
them
kept
on
running
to
the
end.
许多人参加了10000米跑，但只有一些人坚持跑到底。
A
number
of
my
friends
think
I
should
take
a
holiday.
我的一些朋友认为我应该休假。
The
number
of
students
in
our
school
has
grown
from
1,000
to
more
than
1,500.
我们学校学生的数量从1000名增加到1500多名。
The
number
of
wild
animals
has
become
less
and
less
in
recent
years.
最近几年里，野生动物的数量逐渐减少。