In British English, it’s far more common to treat collective nouns as plural: The choir were all warming up in different keys.Īmong the student body, the majority are Californians. My family mostly have their birthdays in the fall and winter. ![]() However, it’s also correct-and quite common-to treat a collective noun as plural when what is being communicated is that the members or components of a group are acting individually rather than as a unit: Residents of the town said a drove of pigs that had escaped from a local farm was destroying their yards and gardens. The film festival’s selection committee consists of filmmakers, film programmers, and critics. In American English, collective nouns more often than not appear with singular verbs: This can make choosing the right verb to use with a collective noun when it’s the subject of a sentence or clause (that is, maintaining subject-verb agreement) a bit tricky-it’s almost like they’re plural and singular at the same time! Are collective nouns singular or plural?Īlthough they refer to multiple things at once by definition, collective nouns are singular in form. Paleontologists found a set of fossils in Argentina from the bones of an Achillesaurus or a closely related species. Traffic on the road was temporarily stopped by a flock of wild turkeys that was making its way across. ![]() ![]() The audience at the midafternoon showing was especially appreciative of the comedic parts of the movie. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is a collective noun?Ī collective noun is a common noun that names a group of people, creatures, or objects:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |