of plurality predominates in the author’s mind, a plural verb is sometimes used before a collective noun that has the singular article an or a; as, “There are a sort of authors, who seem to take up with appearances.”—­ Addison.  “Here are a number of facts or incidents leading to the end in view.”—­Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 296.  “There are a great number of exceedingly good writers among the French.”—­Maunder’s Gram., p. 11.

   “There in the forum swarm a numerous train,
    The subject of debate a townsman slain.”
        —­Pope, Iliad, B. xviii, l. 578.

OBS. 8.—­Collective nouns, when they are merely partitive of the plural, like the words sort and number above, are usually connected with a plural verb, even though they have a singular definitive; as, “And this sort of adverbs commonly admit of Comparison.”—­Buchanan’s English Syntax, p. 64.  Here, perhaps, it would be better to say, “Adverbs of this sort commonly admit of comparison.” “A part of the exports consist of raw silk.”—­Webster’s Improved Gram., p. 100.  This construction is censured by Murray, in his octavo Gram., p. 148; where we are told, that the verb should agree with the first noun only.  Dr. Webster alludes to this circumstance, in improving his grammar, and admits that, “A part of the exports consists, seems to be more correct.”—­Improved Gram., p. 100.  Yet he retains his original text, and obviously thinks it a light thing, that, “in some cases,” his rules or examples “may not be vindicable.” (See Obs. 14th, 15th, and 16th, on Rule 14th, of this code.) It would, I think, be better to say, “The exports consist partly of raw silk.”  Again:  “A multitude of Latin words have, of late, been poured in upon us.”—­Blair’s Rhet., p. 94.  Better, perhaps:  “Latin words, in great multitude, have, of late, been poured in upon us.”  So:  “For the bulk of writers are very apt to confound them with each other.”—­Ib., p. 97.  Better:  “For most writers are very apt to confound them with each other.”  In the following example, (here cited as Kames has it, El. of Crit., ii, 247,) either the verb is, or the phrase, “There are some moveless men” might as well have been used: 

   “There are a sort of men, whose visages
    Do cream and mantle like a standing pond.”—­Shak.

OBS. 9.—­Collections of things are much less frequently and less properly regarded as individuals, or under the idea of plurality, than collections of persons.  This distinction may account for the difference of construction in the two clauses of the following example; though I rather doubt whether a plural verb ought to be used in the former:  “The number of commissioned officers