Spotlight

The whole or the whole of?

Shall we write the preposition "of" after "whole" or not? well, no preposition is necessary when "whole" is followed by a general word or phrase, but we must write the preposition "of" after a more particular word or phrase.

• I lived in Pakistan for the whole year.✔️
• I lived in Pakistan for the whole of 2016.✔️
• I lived in Pakistan for the whole 2016.✖️

Bonus:

Numbers from one to nine in a sentence are always written in letters.

• Only six people were ready to go to the movies.✔️
• Only 6 people were ready to go to the movies.✖️

Total of

• A total of 6 children was/were released.

Should the verb following "total of" be singular or plural? well, it can be followed by either a singular or a plural verb. Actually, it depends on the way you interpret the sentence. If you focus on the collective set, then the following verb will be singular. However, if you focus on the individuals of which this collective set consists, then the following verb will be plural.

Watch out! Shall we use "clever" to refer to adults?
Well, we use this word to appreciate children/a little boy/girl that they have learned something well or to say that they are really quick at learning. But, when it's used to refer to an adult, it can be disapproving. 

Is it okay to start a sentence with a number rather than a letter?
Remember that it's considered untidy to start a sentence with a number and many writers will consider it incorrect if do so. However, when this number is a calendar year, it's correct to start a sentence with a number.