Usage of "like many a" vs "like that of"

Question

Sentence in question:

Sendak’s career began, like many an artist, during his childhood.

I think the sentence should be corrected with

"Sendak’s career began, like that of many artists, during his childhood."

Is my correction wrong?
I don't understand the usage of "like many a"
How is the original sentence correct and where can I learn about the usage of "like many a"?
Can you explain the phrase "like many a"?

Maulik V · Accepted Answer

As user3169 states, it's a special use of the word many. In a literary style, many a [someone in singular] means many [someone in plural]. This said, the sentence actually means...

Sendak’s career began, like many artists, during his childhood.

Another example to make it clear:

It remained a mystery for many a year = It remained a mystery for many years

Note that to change from many a... to many... we need to remove singular and add plural. That is the reason, the sentence in question uses a singular.

Việt Hà Tún · Answer

I think you can use the structure "many a" but in different situations. For example, the sentence: "Many students ARE foreigners." is the same as "Many a student IS foreigner."

Usage of "like many a" vs "like that of"

2 Answers

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question