Three days ago, I watched a boss of one of our security services speak on ‘Channels Television’. The man, who spoke on the experience of his men during the #EndBadGovernance protest in Abuja, spoke impressively.
He was eloquent as he marshalled his points intelligently. In the course of the interview, however, he handled two common words in a way that many people wrongly do. These are ‘series’ and ‘majority’. I heard him say they made ‘series of’ moves, while adding that ‘majority of the people were protesters’. In both, he left out an important grammatical element in the context: article ‘a’.
Although ‘series’ appears like a plural word that eliminates ‘a’, it is not. It is a countable singular noun that should be preceded by ‘a’ or ‘the’ when it means a number of events, objects, or people of a similar or related kind coming after one another. Leaving out the article makes the structure deficient:
The company has lined up series of programmes to mark its 10th anniversary. (Wrong)
The company has lined up a series of programmes to mark its 10th anniversary. (Correct)
Mbappe got series of passes but he could not convert any of them. (Wrong)
Mbappe got a series of passes but he could not convert any of them. (Correct)
Yet, note that the term which ‘series’ points to is not only normally plural but it also commands a plural verb:
A series of programmes that followed was very interesting. (Wrong)
A series of programmes that followed were very interesting. (Correct)
A/The majority
‘Majority’ sounds like a mass noun that should reject a singular pointer like ‘a’. But this is not the case. In this context, it means the larger number or part of something, according to Cambridge Dictionary. The fact, however, is that it needs ‘a’ or ‘the’ to operate:
Majority of the people were tired. (Wrong)
A/The majority of the people were tired. (Correct)
She didn’t have the addresses of majority of the guys. (Wrong)
She didn’t have the addresses of a/the majority of the guys. (Correct)
Note also that where a verb has to follow the word, you opt for the plural:
A majority of the visitors has left. (Wrong)
A/The majority of the visitors have left. (Correct)
The majority of those who need accommodation is single. (Wrong)
A majority of those who need accommodation are single. (Correct)
On regular basis?
No. On a regular basis.
I quickly link the two expressions discussed above to time adverbials such as on a regular basis, on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, on a yearly basis etc. Article ‘a’ is a must with them too:
He visits me on regular basis. (Wrong)
He visits me on a regular basis. (Correct)
I wash the car on daily basis. (Wrong)
I wash the car on a daily basis. (Correct)
They have resolved to be holding the meeting on yearly basis. (Wrong)
They have resolved to be holding the meeting on a yearly basis. (Correct)
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