| 释义 |
Definition of collective noun in English: collective nounnoun Grammar A count noun that denotes a group of individuals (e.g. assembly, family, crew). 〔语法〕集合名词（例如assembly，family，crew） Example sentencesExamples - Some of the questions that the students had to answer were: What is the collective noun of dolphins, the last Ms. World from India, the Roman equivalent of Lord Karthikeya and so on.
- In American usage, a collective noun takes a singular verb when it refers to the collection considered as a whole, as in The family was united on this question.
- In the first place, it raises the issue of whether collective nouns like ‘committee’ are singular or plural, from the point of view of verb agreement as well as pronoun choice.
- I've always thought of elite as a collective noun - when people talk about ‘an elite,’ I assume they're referring to particular group and not simply a person who has elite characteristics.
- What these two would-be grammar gurus are talking about here is mass nouns, not collective nouns.
UsageA collective noun can be used with either a singular verb (my family was always hard-working) or a plural verb (his family were disappointed in him). Generally speaking, in Britain it is more usual for collective nouns to be followed by a plural verb, while in the US the opposite is true. Notice that, if the verb is singular, any following pronouns must be too: the government is prepared to act, but not until it knows the outcome of the latest talks (not … until they know the outcome …) Definition of collective noun in US English: collective nounnounkəˈlɛktɪv naʊnkəˈlektiv noun Grammar A noun that denotes a group of individuals (e.g., assembly, family, crew). 〔语法〕集合名词（例如assembly，family，crew） Example sentencesExamples - I've always thought of elite as a collective noun - when people talk about ‘an elite,’ I assume they're referring to particular group and not simply a person who has elite characteristics.
- In American usage, a collective noun takes a singular verb when it refers to the collection considered as a whole, as in The family was united on this question.
- In the first place, it raises the issue of whether collective nouns like ‘committee’ are singular or plural, from the point of view of verb agreement as well as pronoun choice.
- What these two would-be grammar gurus are talking about here is mass nouns, not collective nouns.
- Some of the questions that the students had to answer were: What is the collective noun of dolphins, the last Ms. World from India, the Roman equivalent of Lord Karthikeya and so on.
UsageExamples of collective nouns include group, crowd, family, committee, class, crew, and the like. In the US, collective nouns are usually followed by a singular verb (the crowd was nervous), while in Britain it is more common to follow a collective noun with a plural verb (the band were late for their own concert). Notice that if the verb is singular, any following pronouns must also be singular: the council is prepared to act, but not until it has taken a poll. When preceded by the definite article the, the collective noun number is usually treated as a singular (the number of applicants was beyond belief), whereas it is treated as a plural when preceded by the indefinite article a (a number of proposals were considered). See also number |