Full Idea
Helen Cartwright calls 'a number of' a 'singulariser', an expression whose linguistic function is to convert to a syntactically neutral form an expression whose semantic value remains plural. It is a great convenience grammatically.
Gist of Idea
A 'singulariser' converts a plural like 'number of' to a syntactically neutral form
Source
report of Helen Cartwright (On Plural Reference and Set Theory [1993]) by Keith Hossack - Plurals and Complexes 2
Book Reference
-: 'British Soc for the Philosophy of Science' [-], p.416
A Reaction
Compare Hofweber's Idea 10004, suggesting it is a crucial psychological convenience for reasoning, as well as a 'grammatical' convenience.
Related Idea
Idea 10004 Our minds are at their best when reasoning about objects [Hofweber]