Seconds has/have passed

Question

Which is proper?

The method will be fired after the specified duration of seconds has passed.

OR

The method will be fired after the specified duration of seconds have passed.

Ben Hocking · Accepted Answer · 2011-06-28 18:52:17Z

up vote 4 down vote accepted

A duration has passed, but seconds have passed. In the phrase "a duration of seconds", the noun is "duration", so the correct verb is has.

answered Jun 28 '11 at 18:52

Ben Hocking
899310

nico · Answer 2 · 2011-06-28 18:54:26Z

up vote 2 down vote

The subject of the sentence is duration, not seconds, so the verb has to be conjugated with it (has passed)

answered Jun 28 '11 at 18:54

nico
3,6831026

jackgill · Answer 3 · 2011-06-28 19:45:03Z

"Has passed" is grammatically correct, but sounds unnatural to me. I would prefer.

The method will be fired after the specified number of seconds has passed.

The user is not actually specifying a duration, but a number which is interpreted as a duration.

3 Answers