第1个回答 2012-10-06
首先，我们看看a large number of /a large amount of 与 the large number of /the large amount of 究竟差别在什么地方？ a ......强调重点在of后面的名词，表示“许多”，谓语动词的要求就看那个名词的性质；the......强调重点在of前面，即“number数目”、“amount数额”，这两个名词一看就是单数，谓语动词的要求很快就确定下来了。例如What is the amount of my bill? The total amount of the payment is﹩4000. The number of the accidents that happen in the home is [不是are] almost the same as those on the road. The number of Rwanda refugees having returned home is [不是are] approaching a million.
其次，我们再看看a large number of /a large amount of后面的名词性质如何？a large number of students, books, animals等可数名词复数；a large amount of information, money, work, help, pleasure 等不可数名词。这样，与之相关的谓语动词的语法要求很快也确定下来了。例如
There are a large number of students in the classroom. There is a large amount of water in the bottle.
最后，补充说明：an amount of实际使用中还有两个变式（1）a large/certain/enormous amount （2）amounts of 谓语动词的语法要求和标准式一样。a number of 的第一个变式是a vast/countless/alarming/increasing number of... 第二个变式numbers of字典里也有，但似乎不常用。