Fractions, singular or plural?

Pedro   Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:23 pm GMT
A question for native speakers of English:
Which one is correct?
1. the 2/3 of the tube has contracted
2. the 2/3 of the tube have contracted
Guest   Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:27 pm GMT
i would say 2/3 of the tube have contracted because it's two 1/3. If it was 1/3 : 1/3 of the tube has contracted.
Leasnam   Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:21 pm GMT
I would say it can go either way: Understood as singular in regards to a measure; and plural when discussing the items as individual portions/pieces of the whole (eg. the two thirds [i.e. "third parts"] of the tube have contracted). I personally prefer viewing it as singular: the 2/3 [portion] of the tube has contracted...
Avril   Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:33 pm GMT
With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, and so forth —look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:

One-third of the city is unemployed.

One-third of the people are unemployed.
Leasnam   Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:01 pm GMT
<<Examples:

One-third of the city is unemployed.

One-third of the people are unemployed. >>

This then would qualify as exception to the rule, yes?
--to the rule of not referring to the noun/nouns in the prepositional phrase, but I like it. It kinda makes sense...
Duke Nukem   Wed Jan 21, 2009 12:54 am GMT
That looks like the rule to me.

Let's see...

Three-fifths of the world is poor. (singular)
Two-thirds of the garden was uprooted.(singular)
A quarter of the boxes were disposed of. (plural)
Half of the buildings were destroyed (plural)
Half of the building was destroyed. (singular)
My answer   Wed Jan 21, 2009 12:58 am GMT
Both sound odd to me using "the".