COLLECTIVE NOUNS AND OTHER SPECIAL SUBJECTS

It is difficult to tell whether certain subjects are singular or plural. For example, collective nouns follow special agreement rules. A collective nouns names a group. COMMON COLLECTIVE NOUNS Group crew flock class team Crowd herd public faculty choir

COLLECTIVE NOUNS The noun has a singular meaning when used to tell about a group that acts as a unit. Ex. The audience sits in silence. {one group, singular} Ex. A crowd watches the game. {one group}

COLLECTIVE NOUNS The noun has a plural meaning when used to describe members of the group acting as individuals. Ex. The class were divided in their opinions of the play. {the members of the class each had an opinion}

PRACTICE 1. The herd of horses (run, runs) together. 2. The faculty (sponsors, sponsor) an art exhibit each year. 3.The faculty (disagree, disagrees) on the rules for the exhibit.

TITLES, AMOUNTS AND TIME Titles of works of art, literature, and music are singular Ex. Sunflowers is a famous painting by Van Gogh. Words and phrases that express weights, measures, numbers, and time are often treated as singular. Ex. Four years seems a long time. Five-tenths of the canvas is blank.