Expertlatin
- Can collective nouns be singular and plural?
- Can collective nouns be plural?
- Which agreement rule applies to a singular collective noun functioning as a unit?
- Is collective noun always singular form?
Can collective nouns be singular and plural?
A collective noun is a name for a group of people or things such as "family," "class," "pack," "bouquet," "pair," and "flock." Collective nouns usually take a singular verb, because they are singular in construction, but they sometimes take a plural verb.
Can collective nouns be plural?
A collective noun is a singular noun that describes a collection or group of people or things. Collective nouns can be plural if you are talking about more than one group.
Which agreement rule applies to a singular collective noun functioning as a unit?
Well, it depends. If the collective noun refers to the group as a unit, then it takes a singular verb. If it refers to the individuals in the group or the parts that make up the group, then the verb should be plural.
Is collective noun always singular form?
While collective nouns are mostly treated as singular, there are exceptions. Collective nouns represent more than one person or thing in a class. It isn't possible to have just one lion in a pride, and a single flower does not make a bouquet. Thus, a collective noun always describes a plurality of one kind or another.
