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majority, most

Use a plural verb with majority when it is followed by a prepositional phrase containing a plural noun:

  • The majority of our students take city buses.

However, most is a more concise and often a better alternative:

  • Most of our students take city buses.

Note that some commentators recommend using majority only with countable nouns:

  • The majority of public servants are happy in their work.
  • The majority of these chairs have wobbly legs.

Therefore, in the case of mass, or uncountable, nouns (e.g. furniture, water), you can avoid both criticism and wordiness by replacing majority with most:

  • Most (not The majority) of my furniture comes from second-hand stores.
  • Most (not The majority) of the water they drink comes from deep wells.

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Writing tools – Writing Tips
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Date Modified: 2015-10-15

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