Is collective noun singular or plural?
Collective nouns can be treated as either singular or plural depending on the context in which they are used.
When in a sentence, a collective noun is referring to the group as a single unit, then the collective noun is treated as singular. On the other hand, when a collective noun is referring to the group of individuals, then the collective noun is treated as plural.
The following table refers to the relationship between collective nouns singularity or plurality with verbs and pronouns.
| Collective Nouns | Verbs | Pronouns |
| Singular | Singular | its |
| Plural | Plural | their |
Examples
- The staff is meeting in the conference room.
- The staff are divided in their opinion on the new policy.
- The team is practicing for the big game tomorrow.
- The team are all wearing different colors of socks today.
- Our family is planning a vacation to Hawaii.
- The family are discussing where to go for dinner tonight.
Important Points to Remember
- In American English, singular is always preferred over plural.
- Police and people are always used with plural verbs.
- In general, treating collective nouns as plural is considered informal.
- To avoid decision making or to simplify matters, add a term like “members of” in front of the collective noun. This will force you to treat the collective noun as plural.
- The committee ____________ meeting tomorrow.
- The team ____________ playing well this season.
- The committee members __________ their decision.
- The committee _________ been discussing the issue for hours.
- The band __________ recording its new album.
The collective noun “committee” is singular because it is treated as a single unit in the given sentence. Therefore, it should be followed by a singular verb “is.”
The collective noun “team” is singular because it is treated as a single unit in the given sentence. Therefore, it should be followed by a singular verb “is.”
When referring to the members of the collective noun, we use the plural verb “have.”
When referring to the team as a single unit, we use the singular verb “has.”
The collective noun “band” is singular, so it should be followed by a singular verb “is.”
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