![]() However, it’s also correct-and quite common-to treat a collective noun as plural when what is being communicated is that the members or components of a group are acting individually rather than as a unit: Residents of the town said a drove of pigs that had escaped from a local farm was destroying their yards and gardens. The film festival’s selection committee consists of filmmakers, film programmers, and critics. In American English, collective nouns more often than not appear with singular verbs: ![]() This can make choosing the right verb to use with a collective noun when it’s the subject of a sentence or clause (that is, maintaining subject-verb agreement) a bit tricky-it’s almost like they’re plural and singular at the same time! Are collective nouns singular or plural?Īlthough they refer to multiple things at once by definition, collective nouns are singular in form. Paleontologists found a set of fossils in Argentina from the bones of an Achillesaurus or a closely related species. Traffic on the road was temporarily stopped by a flock of wild turkeys that was making its way across. The audience at the midafternoon showing was especially appreciative of the comedic parts of the movie. I find it so Kafkaesque.Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is a collective noun?Ī collective noun is a common noun that names a group of people, creatures, or objects: Examples: Proper adjectivesMy mother is Moroccan and my father is Brazilian. These are often words designating a specific nationality, language, or ethnic group (e.g., “Dutch”) or words derived from a person’s name (e.g., “Machiavellian”). Proper adjectivesĪdjectives that are derived from proper nouns (and therefore capitalized) are sometimes referred to as proper adjectives. Examples: Capitalization of cardinal directionsTo the north, you’ll see another important landmark.ĭuring the Cold War, the world was divided into two opposing political camps, East and West. But they’re capitalized when they’re used as part of the name of a specific place or region, or when they’re used in a political or cultural sense. The cardinal directions (compass directions: north, east, south, and west) are treated as common nouns. The 16th president of the United States was President Lincoln. The pope who launched the Crusades was Pope Urban II. ![]() Examples: Capitalization of jobs and titlesJohnson now acts as the chief executive officer of the company. Nouns that act as titles (e.g., political, religious, or professional titles) are only capitalized when they are used as part of the name of a specific person holding that title. Examples: Capitalization of family rolesMy mom says I have to be back in time for dinner. For example, words for family roles are capitalized only when they’re used in the same way as names (without any articles or determiners). Many common nouns designating roles become proper when they’re used as (part of) the name of a specific person with that role. Nouns that can be either proper or common There are 11 Londons in North America alone. London is actually quite a common place name. No, I don’t mean that Jocelyn, I mean blonde Jocelyn. Examples: Proper nouns treated as common nouns The Smiths are a nice family. In these cases, articles, determiners, adjectives, and pluralization are used in the same way as for common nouns. It’s also possible to treat proper nouns more like common nouns-for example, to refer collectively to several people or things with the same name, or to distinguish between them. In the latter half of the twentieth century, life in Northern Ireland was disrupted by the Troubles. Examples: Pluralized proper nounsMany climbers dream of traveling to the Himalayas. The Modern Language Association publishes the MLA Handbook.Īdditionally, some proper nouns are always pluralized, and they tend to be preceded by a definite article (which isn’t capitalized). ![]() Examples: Proper nouns with definite articlesTensions are increasing between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China. The names of some countries and other kinds of organization are preceded by a definite article (“the”)-these are names partially made up of nouns that are usually common, such as “republic” or “association.” The article itself isn’t capitalized. There are exceptions to this rule, though. For example, to refer to someone called Sunita, you usually wouldn’t say “the Sunita,” “a Sunita,” or “that Sunita” but simply “Sunita.” Unlike common nouns, proper nouns usually stand on their own, not preceded by any articles or determiners. Use the best grammar checker available to check for common mistakes in your text.įix mistakes for free Articles with proper nouns ![]()
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