the largest number...has been related to sexual identity and orientation.
The word number is interesting because it can take a plural verb as in the following passage:
"Events were well underway at the Greek Fest when the storm cloud broke. Many ran to their cars parked across from Brown's Island; others gathered under scattered tents. A good number were so put out with the weather, yet so emboldened by much wine tasting, that they demanded refunds from the Save Our City Committee."
Let's rephrase that to: "The largest number were so put out with the weather that they demanded refunds." I think that's a good example of a seemingly singular word requiring a plural verb even with the superlative 'largest' used.
At first I thought the number in Faldage's paste would take a singular verb--but the more I broke the sentence down and thought about what it really meant, the more number appeared to require a plural verb.
