The plural or the plurals?

Question

Hi everybody,

I hope some kind user can help me to clarify the following:

I want to mention a group of engineer, so would I say:

The engineer(singular)? or I would rather say The engineers(plural)?...

If I say it in singular, does it refer clearly to a group of engineer (as I would say flock ~~in singular~~ referring to a group of birds)??

Thanx a lot in advance

Nef · Accepted Answer

I want to mention a group of engineer, so would I say:

The engineer(singular)? or I would rather say The engineers(plural)?...

If I say it in singular, does it refer clearly to a group of engineer (as I would say flock ~~in singular~~ referring to a group of birds)??

--------------------------------

A group of engineers is working on the new system.

Some engineers are working on the new system.

The engineers are working on the new system.

---------------

But

Two groups of engineers are working on the new system.

Several groups of engineers are working on the new system.

CalifJim · Answer

If I say it in singular, does it refer clearly to a group of engineer (as I would say flock ~~in singular~~ referring to a group of birds)??

No. engineer cannot be used like flock. It has to be used like bird. Use the plural engineers. Are you, by chance, talking about a team of engineers? That is also an appropriate expression.

CJ

Reme · Answer

Thanks a lot! That was definetely what I needed to clarify (that "the engineer" cannot be referring to a group).

Best regards from the hot and sunny Spain...

Aperisic · Answer

Reme
I want to mention a group of engineer, so would I say:

The engineer(singular)? or I would rather say The engineers(plural)?...

If I say it in singular, does it refer clearly to a group of engineer (as I would say flock ~~in singular~~ referring to a group of birds)??

Thanx a lot in advance

You can use the engineer if you want to show a typical behavior of a group through a typical behavior of one member of a group.

The African elephant has a longer tail.= all elephants that belong to a group of African elephant have a longer tail.

In that case it is necessary that the group of engineers is somehow specific.

The nuclear engineer deals with nuclear energy. = A group of nuclear engineers that deal with nuclear energy.

It is not necessary to have an adjective before engineer but from the context it must be obvious then which specific group you want to speak about.

But as CJ said you cannot use the engineer just for any group of engineers.

(bird+bird+bird+bird+bird=flock) (engineer + engineer + engineer + engineer + engineer =flock of engineers,

cannot be linkedwith the engineer unless they are all specific)

The plural or the plurals?

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