Which one is correct: '$5 billion was spent' or '$5 billion were spent'? It seems like the former is correct (can you explain it?). But would the answer change if I spelled the sum out (like, 'five billion dollars was/were spent')?
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When talking about an amount of money, a singular verb is required, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.
Five dollars is a lot of money.
Dollars are often used instead of rubles in Russia.
Michael Harvey
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I think either one is correct, at least in the US. The former is more common, and therefore sounds more natural.
Oddly enough, some different forms sound more natural the other way: "A thousand dollars was spent", but "Hundreds of dollars were spent" both sound natural to me.
rcook
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Yes, but one thosuand dollars is a definite sum, which could be written in figures as $1,000, but "hundreds of dollars" is not. – Michael Harvey Aug 03 '20 at 16:45
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Yes, but one thousand dollars is a definite sum, which could be written in figures as $1,000, but "hundreds of dollars" is not, although I would find "hundreds of dollars is more than I can afford for a coat" acceptable. – Michael Harvey Aug 03 '20 at 17:25