a series of

[GoldfishLord]

strip:
a series of drawings inside boxes that tell a story and are often published in newspapers

Source: strip noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

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The bold part is analyzed in the following way:
[A series] [of drawings inside boxes].

It would seem to me that "tell" and "are" should agree with "series" and therefore that they should be in the singular.
Where am I wrong?

 

[teechar]

a series of drawings inside boxes that tell a story and are often published in newspapers

Does that help?

 

[GoldfishLord]

Do you think of "a series of" as adjectival?

 

[teechar]

"series of drawings" is a noun phrase.

 

[Flask]

"series of drawings" is a noun phrase.

GoldfishLord is perplexed because "series" is singular here ("a series") and it is the series that tells the story. Normally, the individual boxes of which a comic strip is composed do not themselves tell stories. It is the strip—the series of boxes—that tells the story. I agree with GoldfishLord that "tell" and "are" should be "tells and "is." Semantically, the relative clause modifies "series" (singular here), not "boxes" (plural), and the verb forms used in the relative clause should reflect that.

 

[GoldfishLord]

But there are times when the determination for what counts as "agreement" is not as obvious, because what sounds like a singular noun is really plural, or what sounds like a plural noun is essentially singular. This concept is known as notional agreement, otherwise known as notional concord or synesis.

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/notional-agreement-subject-verb-principle-proximity

What does the bold part mean?

 

[jutfrank]

Entry 8:

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/count

 

[GoldfishLord]

In the sentence "A crowd of revelers ____ approaching", for example, "were" counts as agreement.

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I've created this sentence.
Is the bold part natural and idiomatic?

 

[jutfrank]

Is the bold part natural and idiomatic?

You mean to ask if it's right.

No, it doesn't make sense.

 

[GoldfishLord]

I'd appreciate it if you'd give me some examples of "counts as agreement". I'd like to know how the phrase is used.

 

[jutfrank]

I'd appreciate it if you'd give me some examples of "counts as agreement". I'd like to know how the phrase is used.

No, that's not a phrase. There are two distinct parts:

1) counts as [something]
2) agreement

Which one are you asking about?

 

[GoldfishLord]

Some example sentences where "counts as agreement" is used.

 

[jutfrank]

Some example sentences where "counts as agreement" is used.

That's not a phrase, GoldfishLord, so you don't need example sentences. You can ask for examples of 'counts as ...', but not for 'counts as agreement'.

Tell me exactly what it is you don't understand.