Has or have?

We received this question from a Write Now reader:

Should I say ‘a block of bedrooms has / have been reserved’? I think it is ‘has’ as it refers to the block, but on past papers I can see it has said ‘have’. Please advise.
Sandra

Thanks, Sandra: good question.

You’re right, of course, that the verb refers to the ‘block’ and should logically be ‘has’, as you suggest.

But ‘a block of’ is actually what is known as a singular expression, along with phrases such as ‘a number of’, ‘a group of’ or ‘a majority of’.   Although ‘number’, ‘group’ and ‘majority’ are singular nouns, we know that they implicitly refer to more than one individual, so they are followed by plural verbs.

So, in this case, I would go with the ‘have’: ‘a block of bedrooms have been reserved’.