Singular or a plural verb with a collective noun?

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Anonymous

#482770 Thu, 28 Feb 08 12:38 PM

Hi,

I've got a question. I know that you should generally use the singular form of a verb with collective nouns (e.g. My team is here. The herd is moving south.), but a few things confuse me with two specific nouns - police and family. I always see plurals with police. Why is that? Is it just an exception to the rule? And a few days ago I saw a sentence in my textbook saying 'Mark asked Jenny if all of her family were still in town.'. Now, I would have understood it if 'family' was followed by 'members', that's logical, but I don't understand the particular example. Could you please help here?

Marina

Anonymous

Nouns, Plurals, Verbs

Mister Micawber

#482771 Thu, 28 Feb 08 12:52 PM

First, it is not so general-- I believe that BrE prefers the team are here. The word police is in a different classification-- a group of nouns with no singular form, like cattle, clothes and jeans.

Family can be singular or plural, depending on how the speaker is viewing it/them-- as a single group or as several related individuals. In the sentence you give, the speaker is obviously thinking of individual members, since he said 'all of her family'.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (21,223)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Nouns, Plurals, Verbs

Anonymous

#488283 Thu, 13 Mar 08 05:23 AM

Dear Marina, I am glad you care a lot for English plural forms of nouns. You are probably learning English as a Second Language.

The noun police is followed by a plural verb because it is a very big group of people. For one Individual, we talk of a Policeman or a policewoman. For the word Family, I need to check with other coleagues.

Chris, a Student

Kigali Institute of Education

Faculty of Arts and Languages

English and Literature With Education (Year III)

Anonymous

English as a second language, Learning English, Literature, Nouns, Plurals, Verbs

Anonymous

#496420 Fri, 04 Apr 08 03:36 AM

Is this the Marina that has written to Tyler_279? If so, could you write back?

Anonymous

Nouns, Plurals, Verbs

Yoong Liat

#496436 Fri, 04 Apr 08 04:47 AM

Hi Anon For the word Family, I need to check with other coleagues. (The word 'family' can be used with a singular or plural noun, as Mister Micawber said.)

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (6,009)

Yoong Liat

Nouns, Plurals, Verbs