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On some uses of singular collective nouns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2005

W. B. AREMO
Affiliation:
Reader in English Language at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife-Ife, Nigeria.

Abstract

This paper draws attention to some uses of the singular collective nouns congress, council, government, management, parliament, and senate in contemporary English. In particular, it demonstrates how in such uses, the singular collective nouns – like members of the main class of proper nouns – have unique reference, occur without any determiner, take singular pronoun substitutes, and as subject in the sentence have singular concord with the verb. It concludes by providing from contemporary English texts some examples illustrating the uses of the six singular collective nouns discussed.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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