Do you use is or are with collective nouns?

Use is with singular subjects and are with plural subjects. Collective nouns usually take is, but you can use are if you need to emphasize the individuals who belong to the group.

Are collective nouns singular or plural in British English?

Collective nouns such as team, family, government, and committee are usually treated as singular in American English and plural in British English.

What’s a plural collective noun?

A collective noun names a group of people or things. A collective noun is treated as plural when the group it names is considered to be made up of individuals. Because members of the group can act on their own, the word is considered plural.

Is FBI singular or plural?

the fbi are or is? Explanation: In American English, the singular would be used. In British English, either can be used.

Do Americans use past participle?

Past tense forms Some past tenses and past participles are different in British and American English. The most common is got. ‘Have got’ is used in American English but only to mean ‘have’. ‘Gotten’ is the past participle of ‘get’ in American English.

What is the difference between a singular and a plural verb?

That is, the verb must be singular if its subject is singular, and plural if its subject is plural. Matching subjects and verbs sounds easy. But confusion can arise when collective nouns are used as subjects. A collective noun is used to refer to an entire group of persons, animals or things; it therefore includes more than one member.

Should collective nouns be singular or plural?

Most writers (especially in the US) treat collective nouns (e.g., team, group, company) as singular, and unless you have a good reason not to, you should treat your collective noun as singular too. However, a collective noun can be considered as either singular or plural depending on the sense of the sentence.

Is the word peoplepeople singular or plural?

People is NOT a collective noun like team or staff. It is a plural noun. However, the subject is one, which is singular and takes a singular verb. So the answer is is.

What is verb agreement with singular nouns?

Verb Agreement with Collective Singular Nouns A present-tense verb (as well as a simple past form of the verb be) must agree in number with its subject. That is, the verb must be singular if its subject is singular, and plural if its subject is plural. Matching subjects and verbs sounds easy.