题目

The number of people invited _________ fifty, but a number of them __________ absent for different reasons. A. were; was     B. was; was     C. was; were       D. were; were 答案：C 解析: 本题考查the number of和a number of 的区别。“the number of + 复数名词/代词”结构中的中心词是number,“a number of + 复数名词/代词”结构中的中心词是of后的复数名词或代词，故谓语动词分别用单、复数。解题关键在于仔细区分哪个是真正的主语。

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