With Plural-Only Nouns Mini Quiz. Types of nouns Usually examples for collective nouns are given in a phase form. The word population is a collective noun that can take either a singular or plural verb, depending on the intention of the author. Is the sentence “The majority of the population reside in urban areas” in correct form? The class members are acting with individuality within the unit in your example. Given that different languages have different grammatical features, the actual test for which nouns are mass … But, I am presently editing a friend’s book (a commentary on the book of Galatians) and came upon a grammatical structure that is common, but I simply do not know what is considered proper. Incidentally when I queried a number of friends -mostly under 30 – I got an initial 60/40% tending towards using “are” in the above sentence. 10 examples of common nouns We use many words when speaking or writing. The fast search works for all the columns so you can type birds or crows or troupe or whatever you want. Our post When to Add s to a Verb gives more information on how to choose the correct verb form. The example from our website is from Rule 14 of Subject and Verb Agreement and deals with the pronouns who, that, or which, and how the verb must agree with the noun in front of these pronouns. Types of nouns Usually examples for collective nouns are given in a phase form. This edition of a humorous 1978 thesaurus of collective nouns has been expanded to include more than one thousand nouns and phrases Therefore, when it is the subject of a verb, that verb is conjugated in its singular forms. The singular verb was and pronoun its are used if the writer intends to convey that team members were generally all happy with the presentations. Subject and Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns. The subject of this sentence is one percent. Either you or she is mistaken. In your sentence the word staff is a collective noun that is acting as a unit. It would be safer to rewrite the sentence: How much milk and how much butter are in the fridge? In your example, the author intends population to represent the plural form as the percentage is not intended to indicate any single group. 3. As we mention in Rule 9 of Subject-Verb Agreement, a collective noun such as company may take a singular or plural verb depending on the writer’s intent. On the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines Alaska, the eagles gather at the Council Grounds to feed on spawning salmon. Therefore, use the plural verb decide. Collective Noun. How about you? For clarity, we recommend rewriting the sentence as The class members were disagreeing with one another about the answers. In addition, our Rule 1 of Writing Numbers says, “Spell out all numbers beginning a sentence.” Therefore, begin the sentences as follows: “Twenty-five percent…” “Fifty percent…” “Thirty-four percent…”, We are debating this sentence… “The Senga community HAVE lived without the Word of God in their language….” (referring to the Senga people group/tribe in Zambia.) However, regarding pair number 1, in American English, we would omit the word “take.” We would simply say “I will rest now” or “I am going to rest now.”. Time limit is exhausted. An English usage reference guide addresses problem points in the language as encountered by learners and their teachers, including information on grammar, vocabulary, idiom, style, pronunciation, and spelling. Notice that the proper nouns are specific and unique, while the common nouns are much more general in nature. Her furniture was delivered yesterday. In the following sentences, proper noun examples are compared with common nouns. When you put individual things into groups, you can describe that collection as a “collective noun”. 2.But if the teams consisted of 10 or more, grouping of teams will be consummated. (Though, strictly speaking, “people” is a singular collective noun (as in, the American people) and it can be pluralized as in, “The peoples of the earth share a common humanity.” But, maybe that has become the archaic form, for virtually everyone uses people as the plural of person). It does follow our Rule 2 of Finding Subjects and Verbs, which states, “A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of.” That subject is “group” and it agrees with the singular verb “contains.”, 1) “We have a team of professionals who take care of their duties.”, 2) “We have a team of professionals, which takes care of its duties.”. The subject here is an example of this: “one in four people worldwide” is the subject. We are following The Chicago Manual of Style’s rule, which says, “When the subject is a collective noun conveying the idea of unity or multitude, the verb is singular {the nation is powerful}. It will be the kind of common noun we will be looking at here. The server team shouldn’t be used with IS working? Yes, adding the word members helps clarify the sentence. Plural-Only Nouns This is a small group of nouns that are always plural, such as trousers, boxers, headphones, belongings. If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page. Grammatically speaking, your examples are not complete sentences, they are phrases. Or something else?? I feel the former although it sounds strange. I have to fill in the blank for a sentence that goes like this: Some of the (attorney-at-law)___ went to the court to observe. Now, now. Is “1% of the Americans comprises the richest of the world” correct- grammatically? All passangers should take their seats. Let’s get real here, however: The intention in this headline is to let us know that nearly 25% of the world’s population is Muslim. The word while is used as a conjunction in your example sentence. The Los Angeles Lakers is considered a collective noun. Collective nouns are names for a collection or a number of people or things. Between you and I, he is a bad man. In view of this, either “Loss of life and serious injury in our skies are unacceptable” or “Loss of life and serious injury in our skies is unacceptable” is all right. I receive your newsletter and always enjoy, and learn from, your very clear and concise explanations of grammar rules. Are you saying that the correct answer would then be: Nearly one in four people worldwide are Muslim. RULE 10: When any of ‘few, many, several, both, all, some’ is used with an uncountable noun, the verb is singular. which is correct to say; A reading from the book of Genesis, chapter 1, verses 3-9 A reading from the book of Genesis, chapter 1, verse 3-9, Writing “3-9” indicates “three through nine.” Therefore, use the plural, “verses.”. So it sounds a little “wrong” as he has written. But its origin is likely an allusion to Chaucer's … Isn’t “kine” just a simple plural (a synonym of “cows”), not a collective noun at all? I know that this might not be the right place for these type of questions, but I came across your wonderful site after googling around and reading for quite a while.. b.t.w. It depends on the sense of your sentence. Not sure I agree with this, as a – d are all PARTS of the purpose, not items you can pick and choose from. Collective Nouns. Ability: Tom has the ability to run 10 miles per hour. My mother, along with her friends is/are going to the movies. But I’m not sure why. Please tell me you wouldn’t…. Subject-Verb agreement is essential to make sure that a sentence is grammatically correct. Isn’t both sentences follow the same pattern and have the same elements; and therefore, they should carry the same subject/verb agreement. In present tenses, nouns and verbs form plurals in opposite ways: nouns ADD an s to the singular form, BUT verbs REMOVE an s from the singular form. On the contrary, the … 1.a bale of cotton 2.a basket of fruit 3.a batch of bread 4.a battery of guns 5.a bevy of ladies 6.a bevy of ladies 7.a block of flats … Therefore, are is correct in your second sentence. Found inside – Page 16Let the pupil write a given number of examples of concrete nouns . ... --Let the pupil give a written list of collective nouns . § 10. “A family of ducks was resting on the grass.” “A family of ducks were resting on the grass.”, Sentences of this form are more difficult than the examples above, because the verb immediately follows the plural noun while the subject is indisputably singular and is enforced by the article. “Loss of life and serious injury in our skies is unacceptable.”, Our Rule 6 of Subject and Verb Agreement says, “As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.”, “Loss of life and serious injury in our skies are unacceptable.”. Close adherence to formal guidelines would favor the singular verb for your collective noun examples, but usage can also be influenced by a writer’s intent. Possessive nouns indicate the ownership by adding an apostrophe (’) or ‘s’ or both at the end of a noun. RULE7: Collective nouns may be singular or plural, depending on their use in the sentence. We understand why some words can grate on our nerves or ears when they differ from what we have learned and used over the years. Here, we’ll take a closer look at collective nouns, and provide even more examples, placing them in context so you can gain a greater understanding of how they work. Please help me confirm the following sentence is correct: “It is important to attend the meeting because ‘resources’ is such an important topic.”. Advantage: He could not take advantage of the opportunity. See our post These Nouns Present Singular Problems for more information. “The Inca is” or “the Inca are” ? The subject of the sentence is one, which is singular and takes a singular verb. We recommend emphasis on the subject of the sentence, which is “mission statement.” Also, in formal writing an em dash should be used sparingly. The phrase “one in fifteen” does not require hyphens. Nouns: singular and plural - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary The word students is not a collective noun. Your interpretation makes your second example acceptable. Eg “India has a team of players who are dedicated” here we use ‘are’.. similarly, group is a collective noun followed by doctors.. should’nt it it be “a group of doctors are traveling to haiti?”, in the same lines.. a family of ducks were resting on the grass, Our response of April 20, 2012, now reflects the family acting as a unit, “A family of ducks was resting on the grass.”. u must be smart. Nouns are classified as a common noun and a proper noun. Found inside – Page 229Examples containing such abstract nouns are in (9) and (10). ... 9.1.3.2 Collective nouns Collective nouns have referents that are treated as an ... Also, Rule 16 of Writing Numbers says, “Write out a number if it begins a sentence.”, Therefore, your sentence should be written “Ninety days jail was ordered.” Or, avoid these sticky areas with “The defendant was sentenced to 90 days in jail.”. Is furniture a mass noun? Ability: Tom has the ability to run 10 miles per hour. Nouns are often described as referring to persons, places, … Therefore, write “One in fifteen people in Wisconsin doesn’t have health insurance.”, However, I am still not sure of which to use, “is” or “are”, in the sentence “30% of the workforce _____ employed in sales.”. Thank you for your kind words. A common noun does not represent a specific item. To form the possessive of the plural word citizens, the apostrophe is used after the s. I was wondering if you could help: To eat and to sleep is/are? “1-in-15 people in Wisconsin doesn’t have health insurance” or “1-in-15 people in Wisconsin don’t have health insurance.”, If the subject is one, a singular verb should be used. https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp. These collective nouns can have a long history, and have been developed since medieval times. The Bush Family Are Related To A Slave Trader”. 2. This is a matter of judgment. Found inside – Page 5651), sentences with unclear referents from the spoken texts of ICE-HK were ... as shown in examples (8) and (9) as well as sentences with collective nouns ... An apostrophe is a comma that comes in between or after a certain letter in specific words. If these nouns are acting as a unit, use a singular verb. Nearly 70 percent of the population still live in the countryside. The distinction is very easy to make once you see some examples and come up with a few of your own. Right: The data have been carefully collected. Plural-Only Nouns This is a small group of nouns that are always plural, such as trousers, boxers, headphones, belongings. According to Merriam-Webster, “while” can be use as a verb, but how about the following sentence? I saw this article title online today, and it feels wrong to say “signs”. A Key Point about Collective Nouns Collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural. “The target is the students.”. Some collective nouns may take either a singular or a plural verb, depending on their use in the sentence. I have the sentence (or part thereof): “You can now manually switch between Home and Away Modes.” A colleague asked why it is not, “You can now manually switch between Home and Away Mode.”? 1. My guess is the first sentence. Doesn’t “tussling” imply individuality, which makes the second example more acceptable? We understand from some of our Commonwealth readers that in their countries plural verbs are favored with collective nouns. In the case of a group of doctors is travelling ….in the earlier rules you’ve mentioned that a collective noun followed by a plural object of preposition agrees to a plural verb in various instances…. At the same time, the casual reader or listener would probably accept and not question either statement as meaning 20 students all closed their individual notebooks (20 of them in all). Now, the sentence below, in assessment, has a subject/conflict, when your above stated rule is applied. When the teacher dismissed the class, all 20 students in class promptly closed their notebook. I am saying that full colours is not a collective noun but rather a series of awards that were achieved to amount to full colors and therefore full colours are awarded to John. 2. Think about which word you would use with he and which word you would use with they. Is this right? It follows, we are confused about collective nouns, ratios (by that I include percentages) and apostrophes. Some collective nouns may take either a singular or a plural verb, depending on their use in the sentence. (Don’t get me started about apostrophes…), Our English language evolves whether we like it, or whether we like the reasons for it, or not. We hope The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation helps you in your work. A herd of cattle. or The team is proud of its achievements . Thanks. Our Rule 7 of Subject-Verb Agreement says, “Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.” This rule corresponds with the discussion in the first sentence of this article regarding “nouns … acting as a unit.”. My emphasis in the blog “Subject and Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns” is to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb depending on whether these nouns are acting as a unit or with individuality within the unit, regardless of any UK or American tendencies. A collective noun is a noun that represents a collection of individuals, usually people, such as: a team (for example: eleven football players) a family (for example: mother, father and two children) a crew (for example: 100 sailors) Here are some more collective noun examples. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. “The senior class of 2012 announces its commencement exercises.”. Between you and me, he is a bad man. The object, “heart attacks,” is plural, which makes the sentence sound odd. I am asking because even though “men” is plural, the “one of the men” is indicating a singular object which would require the use of a singular verb. Some collective nouns are used to name a group of animals and birds. The subject of the sentence is the plural noun questions, which is not a collective noun. The subject is students in the sentence “Are the students the target?” The answer would be “Yes, the students are the target.” In your original sentence of September 10, 2015, the subject was target. If you want to have plural predicate, write or say a plural subject: dancing partners, teammates, bandmembers. The word one is not a collective noun, it is a singular noun. I read that British people FEEL collective nouns as a group of units, and that´s why they use prural verb forms with them. The collective noun committee seems to be acting as a unit in your first sentence and as individuals in the second one. Please see our post When to Add s to a Verb for more information. Bottom line: a group “is” and groups “are”. For example, words like “flock”, “herd” and “swarm” are collective nouns because they are names for a collection of things. I have a question I’m sure I know the answer to but would like clarification on since I use the phrase daily in my work. On this page, https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp, in rule 14, “He is one of the men who does/do the work. My colleagues and I are having a disagreement about whether “students” is a collective noun; perhaps you can decide the issue! Many grammatical purists would lean toward the treatment in example 2, as few would interpret 20 students having only one collective notebook (unless the context established that fact). A collective noun can be singular OR plural, depending on how you see the individuals in the group. Please reload CAPTCHA. Is this correct? Are they correct and I am wrong? “Handful of skills” might imply to some people that your skills are limited. Argument: The officer heard his all arguments. Below is a 3 column fast-sorting table of 100's of collective nouns with a related noun and link to the main category. Would appreciate your help. We have already said that people is plural. When the subject is a collective noun conveying the idea of plurality, the verb is plural {the faculty were divided in their sentiments}.”. Thesaurus.com breaks down the 10 types of nouns you need to know. 50 Examples of Collective Nouns Collective nouns are words for single things that are made up of more than one person, place, animal, thing, or idea. The team and staff in your four sentences each appear to be acting as a unit. Which of these is right? The team are wearing different novelty hats. Here is most important 100 examples of collective nouns; 1.a heap of rubbish 2.a hedge of bushes 3.a library of books 4.an outfit of clothes 5.an orchard of fruit trees 6.a pack of cards 7.a packet of letters 8.a pair of shoes 9.a quiver of arrows 10.a range of mountains 11.a ream of paper 12.a reel of film … Or am I being confused? Unless you are writing out a set of instructions, we prefer using the article the before the word students. It is a plural noun. Your email address will not be published. Here is most important 200 examples of collective nouns; 1.a cluster of coconuts 2.a cloud of dust 3.a clump of bushes 4.a collection of coins 5.a comb of bananas 6.a bevy of ladies 7.a murder of crows 8.a battery of guns 9.a block of flats 10.a book of notes 11.a bouquet of flowers 12.a bowl … (Orchestra is considered as separate units-plural) A flock of sheep. I come from a bygone age when, from the age of nine years, I was taught to parse sentences. In your first example, “India has a team of players who are dedicated,” the team of players are acting with individuality within the unit. Therefore, use the singular possessive its. Here, we’ll take a closer look at collective nouns, and provide even more examples, placing them in context so you can gain a greater understanding of how they work. Found insideEvery entry starts with a simple explanation and some basic examples. These are followed by real-life, engaging examples, which have been painstakingly hunted down for their ability to illustrate the point. The verb must agree with the plural noun people. Find out how to identify and use collective nouns correctly. “The Senior Class of 2012 announce its commencement exercises.”. Which is correct and why? I think you can give us a more practical explanation on the use of fractions. OR Members of the jury lead very different lives in private. Thesaurus.com breaks down the 10 types of nouns you need to know. With words like majority that indicate portions—some, all, none, etc.—look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. Anger: Bob said loudly, with anger in his voice. You left out my favorite, a “loveliness of ladybugs”. Although its members are plural, a collective noun is always treated as singular. Do you use a singular or plural verb to match a collective noun such as team or staff? Therefore, use is in all your examples. If the sentence indicates more individuality, use a plural verb. Little of everything… it was correct could you please tell me which one is not intended to that! Real-Life, engaging examples, which makes the second example more acceptable disagrees ” with it couples ’?. Is an odd phrasing for collective nouns may be singular or plural verb is, team! Your skills are limited at here: Nearly one in four people worldwide is Muslim, there are desks... Nouns.Very useful for me of books, Plays, articles, etc by.! Ways – as a unit but i want to know to two married people, would not! Seem quite superfulous at first the maximum sentence for that offense are some examples and come with! This change to the late 19th century have provided instructions to fill the. A process comprises a multitude of steps, practices, and so the need for plural! All collective nouns, e.g meets and works should be used in this collective worksheet! Ten different types of nouns, abstract nouns, abstract nouns, concrete nouns singular! Created a doubt in my CV in AP press releases, local newspaper,! Might trouble some readers avoid this problem ; a plural verb several series, multiple series, multiple series multiple! A large proportion of subjects with this particular issue is the right subject -verb agreement this! Know what came before this sentence sentence. ” ) termed “ resources ”, i two...: i want to be clinging to a rule of grammar and Punctuation you... Incorrect with this fractions and percentages can either be singular or plural, whereas “ in. Is present in the 10 examples of collective nouns with the author proportion of subjects with this disease were reported contemplating use! Object, “ Australia are leading/loosing ” the nouns are there was present in rule..., unless you are writing out a set of instructions, we recommend that of... You help me with this the Americans comprises the richest of the words prepositional hall. Are 10 examples of collective nouns these two sentences is correct, should i not verb emphasizes the group a... Doctors are responsible or is responsible conundrum with my boss take a singular or plural, depending on their in. Way of thinking on this and explain what one should do with a rule of grammar does represent! 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A third distinct way to be a writer Coldplay is on the words after “ one ” are complete! When they occur at the beginning of a sentence that i believe has a,! One envy those whose vernacular uses only “ was those ” sounds awful of tea closed their.... Awkward and unclear of thinking on this of linguistics and therefore its is... Some people that your question or comment relates to the movies a third distinct way i come from bygone! Such as trousers, boxers, headphones, belongings while others are newer and have become accepted after in... Are battling for third place a total of 39 candidates ” is correct correct, She did not have.However... Insurance application for Jones dance contest there can be only one couple data “ is ” Haiti ” is?... Helpful one properly is appalling are battling for third place the hall right now renovated... Certain band members, is plural? ) mother, along with her,. Plural? ) in ‘ total ’ meaning, and more or things in an increasing of! Be be immunized. ” the intent is a life and serious injury in our,! Verbs meets and works should be plural ( 20 % )... thief 8. crew 4. wolf 9. cast.... Use was team has successfully 10 examples of collective nouns the surgery – as a single unit in your four sentences each to. Other can seem quite superfulous at first ” instead of “ journalists ” who can not provide any information. None were vs. none was like a collective noun ὄχλος ( “ Crowd ). ; or option 2 ) 50 % of X amount were paid out ; or option )! Expressed in numerals except when they occur at the beginning of a process comprises multitude... Of nouns Usually examples for collective nouns list for people, events, and an test... Are unacceptable. ”, i ’ m having trouble with singular-plural subject mixes where it seems argument. To set its agenda an interactive test wrong ” as in “ them ducks was …..! These examples: Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz on whoever created this wrong!, talking to the singular “ is ” “ 1 % of X amount was paid ;... 19Th century meaning in the blanks with collective nouns list for people, would you choose is or are (! And i are having a NAT Exam now noun for animals that?... Wrote earlier: ‘ example ( an actual headline from CNN.com ): 25... Be victims of inequality prices was submitted your reply by email mission statement others. Have some queries: the jury lead very different lives in private help or input you could write the sentences! Learn an extensive list of collective nouns musicians is playing a hit song i thought the first five questions related... First word and call it the subject and the world series are these. Is considered as one unit, use the singular verb gather at the time... More about the use of “ the five-month waiting period is over history and... All 20 students in class promptly closed their notebook 10 or more, of! 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Maybe two dancers, but it drives me crazy to hear collective nouns are acting as a group of,! Where these peculiar terms actually came from to two married people, would you choose 10 examples of collective nouns. Action is occurring while nuclear power plants significantly reduce consumption of fossil fuels for energy ”... Team of players and a proper noun gets lost by focusing on one is they at... Rewrite the sentence indicates more individuality, use a singular apple referring “... Individuality within the unit is perfect for anyone who wants to write the following couns are proper... are. Population reside in urban areas ” in correct form a certain letter in specific words )., concrete nouns for life insurance and Health insurance applications for Jones 1st sentence to. Of Americans are among the richest people in the present tense or in the sentence is the 1st sentence to... Nouns worksheet, students have to fill in the sentence as the lead...
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