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Grammarian-bot Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
aggregate vs collective nouns
Can someone tell me the criteria for a noun to qualify as an aggregate noun and a collective noun. Kindly define both of them.
GB
GB
Top answer
Collective nouns - words which describe a group of objects. example - a bunch of keys (bunch is the collective noun), pride of lions (pride is the collective noun) Aggregate nouns - words comprising of an indefinite number of parts example - goods, data Aggregate nouns, unlike collective nouns, use plural verbs and cannot be used with 'a' or 'an'.
- Collective nouns - words which describe a group of objects.
- example - a bunch of keys (bunch is the collective noun), pride of lions (pride is the collective noun) Aggregate nouns - words comprising of an indefinite number of parts example - goods, data Aggregate nouns, unlike collective nouns, use plural verbs and cannot be used with 'a' or 'an'.
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4 Answers
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Collective nouns - words which describe a group of objects.
example - a bunch of keys (bunch is the collective noun), pride of lions (pride is the collective noun)
Aggregate nouns - words comprising of an indefinite number of parts
example - goods, data
Aggregate nouns, unlike collective nouns, use plural verbs and cannot be used with
example - a bunch of keys (bunch is the collective noun), pride of lions (pride is the collective noun)
Aggregate nouns - words comprising of an indefinite number of parts
example - goods, data
Aggregate nouns, unlike collective nouns, use plural verbs and cannot be used with
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Thanx Benita. You made my life a bit easy. I had asked this question from many people on this forum but no one ever answered me. I don't know why; may be it wasn't much important to people. Whatever, thanx a lot.
But stiil there is a problem. If you visit the following page, you'll see a list of agreegate nouns that have been classified into singular and plural forms. The rule you described
But stiil there is a problem. If you visit the following page, you'll see a list of agreegate nouns that have been classified into singular and plural forms. The rule you described
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Hi Grammarian-bot,
I looked at the site you listed. Some of the words "look" singular but they are aggregatae and take a plural verb. There has been heated debate (twice!) on this site about whether "police" takes a plural or singular verb, but the site you referene shoes that police, like cattle, swine, clergy, etc., all take the plural verb.
I don't have a good way to help you
I looked at the site you listed. Some of the words "look" singular but they are aggregatae and take a plural verb. There has been heated debate (twice!) on this site about whether "police" takes a plural or singular verb, but the site you referene shoes that police, like cattle, swine, clergy, etc., all take the plural verb.
I don't have a good way to help you
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Well actually I wanted to know a way to verify that a given word is an aggregate or a collective noun (as benita identified - the use of a and an with collective nouns and not with aggregate nouns). But it's OK. These words are not too difficult to learn.
GB
GB
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