Согласование в числе

[лингвист-самоучка]

Помогите, пожалуйста. Как правильно сказать:
there is a number of things or there are a number of things? С чем согласовывается глагол?

[Milanya]

When regarded as a unit, collective nouns, as well as noun phrases denoting quantity, take singular verbs.

 The whole family is active.
(Family is a collective noun regarded as a unit.)

The family have met their various obligations.
(The individuals of the family are regarded separately.)

A thousand bushels is a good yield.
(a quantity or unit)

A thousand bushels were crated.
(individual bushels)

More here: http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/SubjectVerb.html#top

[лингвист-самоучка]

Спасибо, Milanya!
Но ваши предложения несколько отличаются от моего. Про family it is clear.

Мне бы получить объяснения по моему предложению.

Уточню: a number of можно трактовать, как many - There are a number of things

Значит можно и так и так?

[лингвист-самоучка]

В эту же тему:

There was five of us или there were five of us?

[Blinky]

"A number of" is plural, therefore "there are a number of..."
There were five of us.