The word population is a collective noun that can take a singular or plural verb, depending on the intention of the author. The noun people is plural. Therefore, are correct in your second sentence. Let`s look again at our sample sentences and add another one using a singular noun for students: I`m with Ron on this issue and it even goes beyond common sense. It is not acceptable to extract the first word „one“ in this context and call it the subject; the theme is „one of the four… ». The words after „one“ are not prepositional, they all form the subject. Since „one in four“ represents more than one number of people, the subject is plural, so Ron is right. If you were to apply your logic, you would say, „One percent (of a countable name) is white.“ Please tell me you wouldn`t. It is a matter of discretion. Our rule 7 of the subject-verb agreement states: „Use a singular verb with distances, periods, sums of money, etc. if it is considered a unit.“ This rule corresponds to the discussion in the first sentence of this article about „Names . act as a unit. We understand why certain words can rub against our nerves or ears when they are different from what we have learned and used over the years.

The Chicago Manual of Style advises: „A mass name (sometimes called an uncounted name) is one that designates something uncountable, either because it is abstract {cowardice} {proof} or because it refers to an indefinite aggregation of persons or things {the faculty} {the bourgeoisie}; the latter type is also known as a collective name. As the subject of a sentence, a mass noun usually assumes a singular verb {the legal dispute is diverse}. But in a collective sense, it can take a singular or plural verbal form {the ruling majority is unlikely to share power} {the majority are non-members}. A singular verb emphasizes the group; a plural verb emphasizes individual members. The team paints a mural. (The team paints the mural together, so the verb is singular.) It follows that we are confused about collective nouns, relationships (which I include in the percentages), and apostrophes. To add another insult to literacy, spelling has become an uncomfortable insignificance. Some collective nouns may take a singular or plural verb, depending on their use in the sentence. Collective nouns can be difficult because it is up to the author of the sentence to determine whether the name functions as a unit or whether the sentence indicates more individuality.

In your first example, „India has a team of players who are engaged“, the team of players acts individually within the unit. In your sentence „A group of doctors goes to Haiti,“ the word group is a collective noun that acts as a unit. Therefore, it is treated as a singular noun and used is the singular verb. The tongue is more than a bag full of rules. We can think of collectives in two ways – as a collective of parts or as parts of a collective. Both are completely identical in the „total“ sense, and therefore the need for the other may seem quite crowded at first glance. Kind of like trying to decide what`s best to drive on the left or right side of the road. Sometimes in the UK we tend to prefer plural subjects, while in the US I notice that they prefer the singular most often. Consider this: A group gets to know different types of names.

The collective names committee seems to function as a unit in your first sentence and as individuals in the second sentence. The Committee is considering these issues carefully. The committee leads very different lives in private. Class = plural; start = plural verb; their = plural pronouns. (Students begin their own research – in different places, at different times, through different mathematicians.) The team disagrees on how to paint the mural. (Team members disagree, so the verb is plural.) To complete the above sentence, I am considering using lawyers rather than lawyers. I am lost here because I cannot determine whether the subject should be singular or plural, because there is no other indication of the form of the noun in the sentence. With respect to the second sentence, our Rule 8 on matching subjects and verbs states: „The pronouns of everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, someone and someone are singular and require singular verbs.“ The grammatically correct sentence could be: „Would all passengers take their place“ or the cumbersome phrase „Would everyone take their place?“.

Now that you understand what collective nouns are and how to use them correctly in a sentence, let`s practice identifying them and looking for the correct use of verbs and pronouns. Remember that collective nouns are considered singular nouns and should be used with singular verbs and pronouns. Collective names are words we see and use every day. If you use collective nouns in your writing, be sure to carefully review your work to make sure you use the appropriate verbs and pronouns! If you can`t determine whether a collective noun is singular or plural, exercise your options as a writer. You have two ways to write the sentence without accidentally causing a mismatch. Would the word men have a singular or plural verb for the transification of the subject? Example: (Do/Do) the three men have reservations. Collective nouns such as team, family, class, group, and hosts assume a singular verb when the entity acts together, and a plural verb when the individuals who make up the entity act individually. The following examples illustrate this principle: names name people, places, and things. Collective names, a special class, groups of names (which are things) composed of members (usually people). Collective nouns can be used in any type of sentence, but the most common mistakes made when using collective nouns are subject-verb disagreements and pronoun disagreements. What about the noun „goal“? In the present case, that is the subject of a procedure.

Now, a process involves a variety of steps, practices, and procedures, and therefore its purpose is multifaceted. When I said „The purpose of the process is to say (a, b, c and d.)“, the editor corrected it to „the goals are“. I`m not sure I agree with this because a-d are all PARTIES of the goal, not elements to choose from. What do you think? Team members disagree on how to paint the mural. If a singular collectivenomen is used in a sentence, it should be treated as a singular noun. .