A：A total of 後接複數名詞，而該複數名詞是句子的主詞，換言之，a total of 接複數動詞 (BE 動詞就是 are 或 were)，而 the total of 也是接複數名詞，但句子的主詞卻是 the total，而不是該複數名詞，所以 the total of 接單數動詞 (BE 動詞就是 is 或 was)。兩者的語意並無差異且皆可用 in total, in all, all told 等同義的片語來替換。例如：
- A total of thirty days were spent on the trip.
= The total of thirty days was spent on the trip.
= In total, thirty days were spent on the trip.
= In all, thirty days were spent on the trip.
= All told, thirty days were spent on the trip. (這趟旅行總共花了三十天)
顯然地，a total of 和 the total of 的文法概念與 a number of 和 the number of 如出一轍。儘管一些文法學者認為 a total of 是贅字，但它卻可用來避免句子的開頭使用數字。例如：
- A total of 432 people applied for the three jobs. (總共有 432 人申請這三份工作)
Total 這個字本身可當動詞、形容詞和名詞用。當動詞用時，total 意為「總計為；總共為；共達」，如 His earnings from car racing now total over three million dollars. (他的賽車收入現在總計超過三百萬元)，但它還有一個俚語意思也相當常用，那就是「(車輛) 撞毀，撞爛，完全毀壞」，如 They weren’t hurt in the accident, but the car was totaled. (他們在車禍中沒有受傷，但車子全毀了)；Her new car was totalled in the accident. (她的新車在車禍中撞毀了)。Total 的過去式和過去分詞都是 totalled 或 totaled，而現在分詞為 totalling 或 totaling － 前者為英式英語拼法，後者為美式英語拼法。在英文中，對於一個音節以上的字，若其最後一個字母為子音字母，尤其是 -l，英式英語通常 (並非總是) 重複此字母，但美式英語通常不重複，如 cancel, total, travel 等。
當形容詞用時，total 僅能用在名詞之前，意為「總共的；全部的」及用於強調的「完全的；絕對的」，如 The total cost of the project came to over three million dollars. (工程總費用超過三百萬元)；The event was a total failure. (活動徹底失敗)；Why on earth would you let a total stranger into the house? (你到底為什麼會讓一個完全陌生的人進入屋內呢?)。然而，某些英美人士反對將 total 當作 absolute, complete 或 utter 的同義詞，用來表示強調的「完全的；絕對的」之意。
當名詞用的 total 可與 combined, cumulative, estimated, final, grand, overall, sum 以及 high, huge, large, low, small 等形容詞連用，如 His three goals give him a grand total of 30 for the season. (他的三次進球使他本賽季的進球總數達到 30 個)；The sum total of my knowledge of astrology is not impressive. (我對占星學的知識乏善可陳)。然而，sum total 的用法也有爭議，大多數文法學者都認為 total 在這個片語中是贅字，違反英文簡潔的原則。