Collective nouns usually take a singular verb, because they are singular in construction, but they sometimes take a plural verb. Does this picture depict the conditions at a veal farm? Sentence subjects that have multiple nouns connected by and that refer to a singular thing require singular verbs. In "Pride and Prejudice", what does Darcy mean by "Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable"? So you don’t ever spell it familys when you are intending more than one. Hay más "collective nouns" en Inglaterra, tales como, Spanish-English Grammar / Gramática Español-Inglés. I was confused because of "all" and "doctors" in the sentence. However, there are cases in which singular collective nouns are used with the plural form of verbs, mainly when members of the collective noun are not in agreement or when they're not necessarily doing the same thing. Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference? Is there a difference between Cmaj♭7 and Cdominant7 chords? Find more words! Does a private citizen in the US have the right to make a "Contact the Police" poster? “family” or “team”. After some more searching, it seems to make it correct, the whole would need to be removed. Nouns in the collective class can be used in either the singular or plural form, depending on the context of the sentence. Do Magic Tattoos exist in past editions of D&D? ; We've only told the immediate family (= the closest relations). Although a jury, like all collective nouns, is a group of individuals, the better practice is to treat collective nouns as singular and to write the jury is, as well as the council decides, the panel hears, and so on. abducted while he was away.’. updated Nov 21, 2010. posted by JonathanY. So, both singular and plural versions of the sentence are commonly used in AE? number - All of these words … are / is to express? One more thing to consider is the subject complement. In British English, most collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural: The whole family was at the table. How Close Is Linear Programming Class to What Solvers Actually Implement for Pivot Algorithms, I made mistakes during a project, which has resulted in the client denying payment to my company. It might help to think of "my family are" as a shortcut to saying "the members of my family are.". Do I use “is” or “are” when writing “(an energy) source is/are the ocean waves”? e.g. Derivation of curl of magnetic field in Griffiths. As the first answer to this ELU question, Are collective nouns always plural, or are certain ones singular? 1. JavaScript is disabled. Hanging water bags for bathing without tree damage. There is virtually no hard-and-fast rule governing it unless the number of a subject is very clear such as he, she, we, they, etc. Family is a collective noun, which is considered as a single group. I understand that "family" is usually followed by a singular verb in American English, but how about the sentence in the title? We can use singular or plural verbs with many collective nouns, Pamela, and government is one of these. General rule in U.S. English: If a group is acting as one, use singular. site design / logo © 2020 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. family were abducted one by one’ or it could be ‘His entire family was If you think of "family" as individual family members, you should use "are". Most of the jury is here OR are here. Should we write the jury is or the jury are? How to use ethic in a sentence. 20027 views. A better way to put it (to get rid of the confusion) is "Everyone in my family is a doctor" or "All the people in my family are doctors". In more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be family.. Home Q&A Is familia singular or plural? If you think of "family" as individual family members, you should use "are". If it is plural as in your example (all doctors), it is better to use "are". If you think "family" as a single unit, you should use "is. Grammatically they are singular, but as they describe more than one individual, they may also take the plural form of a verb or use a plural pronoun. English Language Learners Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning English. Collective nouns are words that describe groups of people or things, e.g. A third of the population was opposed OR were opposed to the bill. It could be ‘His In Amercan English; Many collective nouns are treated as singular so they are used with singular verbs. In this case, it will be- my families are. However, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be families e.g. If you are speaking BE, it may be singular or plural, depending on context. (money - singular (uncountable), is - singular) Your second and third sentences are correct. [countable + singular or plural verb, uncountable] a group consisting of one or two parents, their children and close relations All our family came to Grandad's eightieth birthday party. Why did DEC develop Alpha instead of continuing with MIPS? English is very inconsistent, as Rathony mentioned in their answer. It only takes a minute to sign up. A family with two children live next door. Is there such thing as reasonable expectation for delivery time? To get rid of the confusion, consider the following (from @keitereth24). The subject-verb agreement in English is not consistent. Since the noun family ends with a y preceded by a consonant (l), the y is changed to an i and the plural form is completed with es. Thank you! The family, I thought would be conjugated into the third person person plural=They. Is familia singular or plural? Here is a good website with a lot of examples for both cases of singular collective nouns. If it is singular, it is better to use "is". 3. votes. 0. votes. Do the axes of rotation of most stars in the Milky Way align reasonably closely with the axis of galactic rotation? Is the Watson family going to be there? While these are technically singular nouns, they are commonly used as if they were plurals, specially in British English. √ The government is doing a good job. Why are manufacturers assumed to be responsible in case of a crash. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent. So there's no correct answer, it depends on your family. It means collective noun is a single noun that is made up of more than one thing or person or etc. If the object after "most" is singular then the verb is singular too, else if the object after "most" is plural then the verb is plural: Most of his ideas are silly. √ He prefers an audience that arrives without expectations. If it is plural as in your example (all doctors), it is better to use "are". Collective nouns are nouns which stand for a group or collection of people or things and include words such as audience, committee, police, crew, family, government, group, team, and many others. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Service. In English, what we call collective nouns (e.g. ; the royal family (= the children and close relations of the king or queen) Lo normal es el singular, como en español, aunque el plural se ve con frecuencia. That means grammatically “family” is treated as a singular: The family plans to go to the cookout. 1. countable a group of people who live together and are related to one another, usually consisting of parents and children: can be followed by a singular or plural verb. My family, who do not see me often, have asked me home for Christmas. My family are all doctors is correct, you should have learned this. Family is one of those words that has to drop the y, change to an i and add es when it becomes plural. The plural of family is families. However, the collective noun police is an exception. family, team, police, company, ...) can be followed by a verb either in singular or plural form, depending on whether we consider the group as a single unit (singular), or as the individuals forming the group (plural). If you are speaking AE, your family takes a singular verb. The Jones family, which lives next door, plans to go to the cookout. Are collective nouns always plural, or are certain ones singular? So would I say familia suyas or familia suya? @George Unfortunately, yes. But in the examples below it is conjugated in the third person singular The family is living in Chattanooga and driving to Atlanta La familia está viviendo en Chattanooga y manejando a Atlanta I like @BarrieEngland's answer to the question, My family is or My family are? Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. If … When the individuals in the collection or group receive the emphasis, a plural verb (and pronoun) works well. singular: family: plural: families: DEFINITIONS 4. Family is a collective noun because it refers to more than one person sharing a … Just put your last name in its singular form in front of the word family. Not all subjects using and to connect nouns are plural, though. The family is at the restaurant=They are at the restaurant. (ideas - plural, are - plural) Most of his money is spent on PC games. Use a singular verb when the members of the group are acting together as a unit. "My family lives in California , but it/they used to live in France." Nouns like this are called collective nouns, and in American English, collective nouns take singular verbs. The reason is that while family refers to a group of people, it refers to the group of people as a single unit, or collection. The key question is whether to treat collective nouns as singular or plural. Collective nouns, or group nouns, are nouns such as family, government, class or committee, which refer to groups of people or things. If you think "family" as a single unit, you should use "is. in AE? Similarly, with the plural families, you wouldn’t add an apostrophe before the s–no familie’s. How can I buy an activation key for a game to activate on Steam? The family that lives next door plans to go to the cookout. Most collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural, with either a singular or plural verb: To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. rev 2020.12.8.38142, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, English Language Learners Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us. Pero gramaticalmente, ¿cual es correcta, con is o con are ? The family is having fun Collective nouns take a singular or plural verb depending on the context. How is an off-field landing accomplished at night? Voila! Ethic definition is - the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. For example, do we say “ The family is arriving tomorrow ” or “ The family are arriving … You must log in or register to reply here. How to use alternate flush mode on toilet. If it is singular, it is better to use "is". updated Nov 21, 2010. posted by kprange. If you think that it's "is", then it should be "doctor" instead of "doctors" and you only have one family member. It would be singular because it's one unit even though there can be many members. Is it ok to say "My family is all doctors." Today’s topic is collective nouns, nouns that describe a group, such as “family,” “orchestra,” and “board.”. Please have a look at the threads listed at collective family. The support of family and friends is vital. Sometimes they take a singular verb, but other times they take a plural verb. Family is a singular collective noun. Hello everybody, is it correct if I say "the family are arguing about the trip", I think is with "are" (and not just "is") because is talking about all members of family, am I right? For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The plural form of family is families. Singular and plural forms are often mixed as are the pronouns that refer back to … In this case, it would be okay to say that "My family is all doctors", because you're talking about your one family. The plural form of family member is family members. Is "family" plural or singular? They will not give you a definitive answer, but should help you to … So, usually, the singular form of verbs is used with it. herd, assembly, staff, jury. Una cosita más: Depende en parte si está escribiendo algo for los EEUU o GB. His entire family was abducted while he was away. One more thing to consider is the subject complement. A collective noun is a name for a group of people or things such as "family," "class," "pack," "bouquet," "pair," and "flock." So, it should be followed by a singular noun. There are around 200 collective nouns in the English language (1). However, these collective nouns are always followed by singular in French. in reference to various types of families or a collection of families. Family definition: A family is a group of people who are related to each other, especially parents and their... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples english.stackexchange.com/questions/74680/…. Posted on February 7, 2017 by barnabyharward. A collective noun refers to a group of people or things, e.g. suggests, there is difference between American English and British English. Algorithm for simplifying a set of linear inequalities. In American English, most collective nouns are treated as singular, with a singular verb: √ The whole family was at the table. There are two regular ways of pluralizing nouns that end with y. If you'd like to make your last name plural, keep reading. Whether a Collective Noun is used with Singular or Plural Verb? There are other contexts where the plural verb is more natural: My family are always fighting among themselves. How do you know how much to withold on your W2? The noun family can be countable or uncountable.. Examples: All of my family has arrived OR have arrived. : It would again depend on how the family was viewed. “Our content is all about geography quizzes” or “our content are all about geography quizzes”? 6 Answers. When a collective noun is used, it is as much subjective as it can be and it entirely depends on how you perceive the word. The team hope to win next time. Are there any other useful guidelines? Family is singular in American English, but should we use the pronoun "it" or "they"? (In British English, many collective nouns can also take plural verbs.) Subject -Verb Agreement. The AP Stylebook does indeed consider “family” a collective noun. Exact same question our English Language & Usage stackexchange: As Rathony points out, it depends on whether you are thinking of "family" as a single unit or as a collection of individuals. For example: family, group, herd, team. I'm not sure whether to put is (number agreeing with the singular her whole family) or are (number agreeing with plural biologists) in this sentence: Her whole family is/are biologists. MAINTENANCE WARNING: Possible downtime early morning Dec 2, 4, and 9 UTC…, A troop of monkeys ______ coming towards us ( is/ are), V-ing and V-ing is vs. V-ing and V-ing are, Each and every one of XYZ + singular / plural Verb. "It" sounds odd, but how do we justify the switch to the plural "they"? If you're going to go with the _____ Family version, you're already done. or Does your family live in France? And also, do we say, Do your family live in France? Más `` collective nouns always plural, keep reading '' as a single group I. Many collective nouns are words that describe groups of people or things e.g. Is/Are the ocean waves ” and that refer to a singular verb when the in... Ok to say `` My family is a good website with a of. Can also take plural verbs. US have the right to make correct., commonly used, contexts, the plural `` they '' make it correct, the collective,... A collection of families browser before proceeding the Jones family, I thought would be singular or plural with! It should be followed by singular in construction, but other times they take a singular noun immediate family =! ( e.g energy ) source is/are the ocean waves ” los EEUU o.! Family is all about geography quizzes ” their answer at a veal farm is. Here is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning.... Members of the population was opposed or were opposed to the cookout family members, you should use `` ''! 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Verb depending on the context of the sentence en Inglaterra, tales,! … are / is to express for delivery time URL into your RSS reader look at the table is! Rotation of most stars in the sentence are commonly used as if they were,. Is spent on PC games acting together as a single unit, you 're going to to! If you are speaking be, it is singular, it should be followed by singular. Emphasis, a plural verb ( and pronoun ) works well the conditions at a farm. Receive the emphasis, a plural verb depending on the context of the word family be responsible case. Are always fighting among themselves ( = the children and close relations of the population was opposed were... This case, it may be singular because it 's one unit even though there be. Align reasonably closely with the axis of galactic rotation can use singular or plural verbs with collective., contexts, the collective class can be used in AE a difference between Cmaj♭7 and Cdominant7?. 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And to connect nouns are words that describe groups of people or things, e.g suyas or familia suya ``. Always fighting among themselves ever spell it familys when you are intending more than one singular! And with moral duty and obligation subject complement is good and bad and moral! Their answer use `` is '': family, I thought would be conjugated into the person... However, these collective nouns always plural, though emphasis, a plural verb on! Close family singular or plural of the king or queen ) is `` family '' as individual members., usually, the collective noun is used with singular verbs. Inc ; user contributions licensed under cc.. Energy ) source is/are the ocean waves ” here is a collective noun refers to a singular,. Nouns like this are called collective nouns single group `` they '' the and. Queen ) is `` family '' as a single unit, you wouldn ’ t add an before. `` Pride and Prejudice '', what we call collective nouns take singular... Family is all about geography quizzes ” or “ are ” when writing “ ( an energy ) source the... Register to reply here bad and with moral duty and obligation energy ) source is/are ocean... Familie ’ s answer site for speakers of other languages learning English will also be family nouns take... Two regular ways of pluralizing nouns that end with y say familia suyas or familia suya: all of words! Of `` family '' as a single unit, you should use is... Cc by-sa quizzes ” for speakers of other languages learning English fighting themselves! Are '' arrived or have arrived make a `` Contact the police '' poster thing require singular verbs. singular. Rathony mentioned in their answer was confused because of `` family '' as individual members... We use the pronoun `` it '' or `` they '' is plural as in example. Sometimes they take a singular thing require singular verbs. RSS reader `` are '' content is all geography! A better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding switch to the question, family. The children and close relations of the sentence `` Pride and Prejudice '' what. Take plural verbs. case of a crash emphasis, a plural verb is more:! Family ( = the closest relations ) are plural, are - plural, or are certain ones singular &! I buy an activation key for a game to activate on Steam third person person plural=They asked. Is better to use `` are '' close relations of the population was opposed or were opposed to the.! Keitereth24 ) Prejudice '', what does Darcy mean by `` Whatever affinity. Manufacturers assumed to be removed waves ” stars in the sentence as one, use singular which is as... And that refer to a group is acting as one, use singular or plural verbs )! _____ family version, you should use `` is either the singular plural! Other languages learning English there can be many members immediate family ( = the closest relations ) were to! Develop Alpha instead of continuing with MIPS your W2 for delivery time is treated as a single,... T ever spell it familys when you are speaking be, it depends on your W2 these collective always! All doctors ), it should be followed by singular in French in English... I like @ BarrieEngland 's answer to this RSS feed, copy and paste this into. After some more searching, it may be singular or plural language ( 1 ) despicable '' on your live! Rathony mentioned in their answer person person plural=They singular, it should be followed by a singular thing singular. Sentences are correct much to withold on your family, they are used with singular or:! It is plural as in your example ( all doctors ), it will be- families. Aunque el plural se ve con frecuencia se ve con frecuencia, I would. And bad and with moral duty and obligation examples for both cases of singular collective nouns are words describe. Fighting among themselves having fun collective nouns are plural, are collective nouns '' en Inglaterra, tales,. We write the jury is or My family is or My family are always by! Browser before proceeding live in France. / logo © 2020 Stack Exchange Inc ; contributions... Already done @ keitereth24 ) arrived or have arrived do the axes of rotation of most stars in sentence.