Doubt about 'une paire de boules Quiès étaient fournies'

Question

In this sentence why is it not 'était fournie', to agree with 'une paire'?:une paire de boules Quiès étaient fournies

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Jonathan,

Une paire de boules Quiès étaient fournies = a pair of earplugs were provided
-> we consider that the earplugs are provided - not the pair -> hence the plural form of the verb
Une série de mauvaises nouvelles ont déprimé mon fils = a series of bad news got my son depressed
-> The bad news got my son depressed - not the series -> hence the plural form of the verb

Attention:

Ma paire de lunettes est cassée = my pair of glasses is broken
-> the entire pair is broken -> hence the singular form of the verb

I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Answer

Hi Jonathan,
As I understand it the conjugation will be with Boules, not Une paire therefore étaient.
Hope this helps.
Jim

Answer

As Jim says, it is only one pair but two balls, and the French sentence refers to the balls (plural) and not the pair (singular)

Answer

Céline - the first example you wrote is in the singular in English “ a pair … was offered” but in plural in French “ étaient fournies”. The same grammatical reasoning applies in English as in French, so they should be the same. (Collective nouns #6 on attached link)

I believe either singular or plural could be used here, depending on interpretation of the important “unit” - in speech, it will not easily be discernible (in French) which is being emphasised by the speaker, and the listener may have a different interpretation. (At least this is one time when English is less ambiguous)!

https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/sub-verb.htm

Answer

Bonjour Maarten,
 Thank you for pointing this out. I was obviously not on top of my game here ;-) ! I have corrected these typos now. And you are absolutely right that in French depending on the item deemed important in the subject (being a collective noun), the verb will either be plural or singular.
 Here is a bit more clarity on how to agree the verb if the subject is a collective noun:
- usually a collective noun is considered as a group of individuals or things and the verb will usually be in the singular form :
 la majorité a voté contre le projet = the majority voted against the project
 - When the collective noun is followed by a plural noun, the verb can either be in the singular or the plural form depending on:
   1. are you considering the subject as a collective (singular) or as individual things / people (plural)

L’équipe de journalistes a fini de travailler = the team of journalists finished working
Une foule de touristes ont visité le musée = a crowd of tourists visited the museum

2. who or what is most likely doing the action? Singular form or plural form

Une série de mauvaises nouvelles ont déprimé mon fils =  a series of bad news got my son depressed
→ ‘the bad news’ are ‘doing’ the action
La file des manifestants s’allonge = the line of demonstrators is getting longer
→ the line is increasing

Notice how the verb is often in the singular form if the collective noun is preceded by a definite article (a possessive adjective: mon, ma… and a demonstrative adjective: ce, cet...) but is in the plural form if the collective noun is preceded by an indefinite article.
    3. Attention: with ‘la plupart’ (= most) on its own (not followed by a noun), the verb is in the plural form. If it is followed by a noun, then the verb agrees with the noun:

La plupart ont combattu dans les tranchées = most fought in the trenches
La plupart des élèves ont passé l’examen = most of the students got their exam
La plupart du quartier est en ruine = most of the neighbourhood is in ruins

I hope this helpful.
Bonne journée !