Collective Nouns. Some nouns are singular in form but plural in meaning. They are called collective nouns and include such words as team, class, committee, crowd, and crew. These nouns may take either a singular or plural verb; if you are thinking of the group as a unit, use a singular verb; if you are thinking of the individual members of the group, use a plural verb. When referring to a group as a single unit, a singular verb is used. The public is… The family is… The class is demanding… When referring to a group's members as individuals, a plural verb is used. The committee fight among themselves. The student body are talking with each other. The class are writing.
Collective Nouns. Some nouns that are singular in form name a group of people or things: class, family, team, group, flock, for example. These nouns are called collective nouns.
Collective Nouns. A word that refers to each individual in a group (e.g., everybody, everyone, each) takes a singular verb and singular pronoun. Example: Everyone in this store is buying chips. Example: Everybody needs to bring his or her book to the meeting. A word that refers to individuals as one group (e.g., committee, faculty, staff) takes a singular verb and singular pronoun. Example: The committee is making a decision. A word that refers to a group of individuals (e.g., all, some) takes a plural verb and plural pronoun.
Collective Nouns. Use a singular verb with a collective noun, such as team, family, class, union, army, committee. Example: My family loves to go bowling every weekend.
Collective Nouns. This is a group of people or things that act as ONE unit, so these nouns take a singular verb. Our team Society Collective Nouns: army, association, audience, band, class, club, committee, company, crowd, family, gang, government, group, jury, organization, population, public, society, team The government exists for us. needs to participate. is winning.
Collective Nouns. Finally, the last common error in Pronoun Antecedent Agreement occurs with Collective Nouns. A collective noun is a word that usually identifies a group of people, but the noun itself is considered singular: team, committee, squad, family, organization, group, etc. Here is the common error: The tennis team is celebrating their fifth championship. Singular Plural pronoun My family is having their reunion at Xxxx Park. Singular Plural pronoun The error is that collective nouns (since they are singular and are not assigned gender) take the pronoun “it” or “its” (“its” is the possessive form). Here is the correction: The tennis team is celebrating its fifth championship. Singular noun Singular pronoun My family is having its reunion at Xxxx Park. Singular noun Singular pronoun NOTE: If you do not like referring to a team or family as “it” or “its,” then you can make revisions that permit you to use the plural pronoun “their.” Notice that in the sentences below, the collective nouns “team” and “family” have become part of a prepositional phrase and the new subject (members) is now the antecedent for “their.” The members of tennis team are celebrating their fifth championship. Plural noun Plural pronoun The members of my family are having their reunion at Xxxx.
Collective Nouns. Collective nouns like family, government, team, audience, and committee take either a singular verb or a plural verb. We use a singular verb if we are thinking of the group as a whole.
