MSGID: 2:221/6.0 5ccc01d0   
   REPLY: 549.englisht@1:2320/105 2130bc4c   
   PID: JamNNTPd/Cygwin32 1.3 20190208   
   CHRS: LATIN-1 2   
   TZUTC: 0300   
   TID: hpt/w32-mvc 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   Hi, Mike Powell!   
   I read your message from 03.05.2019 02:26   
      
   > -----Beginning of the citation-----   
    ak> Historical opinion is now split. Some scholars think that the lack   
    ak> of contemporary accounts of Arthur mean he is a later invention.   
   > ----- The end of the citation -----   
    ak> 1. What about the absence of article before "Historical opinion"?   
    ak> 2. why do they write "mean" instead of "means"?   
      
    MP> Not sure on #1. However, #2 I believe is because "mean" is the   
    MP> plural form, in this case "lack of accounts mean." Accounts is   
    MP> plural, so mean is also plural. If the sentence said "lack of a   
    MP> contemporary account," the writer would have used "means" instead   
    MP> as account is singular.   
      
    MP> At least that is how I was taught it.   
      
   In Longman dictionary I found out "lack" can be used in both forms.   
      
   [The lack of oxygen at this height saps power.]   
   "saps" is related to "lack" and oxygen doesn't make "lack" uncountable.   
      
   or an uncountable form:   
      
   [Their apparent lack of progress mean they are not doing their job properly.]   
      
   Bye, Mike!   
   Alexander Koryagin   
   english_tutor 2019   
      
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