Editing Noun (section)

=== Collective nouns ===
{{Main|Collective noun}}

''Collective nouns'' are nouns that – even when they are treated in their morphology and syntax as [[Grammatical number|singular]] – refer to ''groups'' consisting of more than one individual or entity. Examples include ''committee'', ''government'', and ''police''. In English these nouns may be followed by a singular or a plural verb and referred to by a singular or plural pronoun, the singular being generally preferred when referring to the body as a unit and the plural often being preferred, especially in British English, when emphasizing the individual members.<ref name="Gowers 2014">{{harvnb|Gowers|2014|pages=189–190}}</ref> Examples of acceptable and unacceptable use given by Gowers in ''Plain Words'' include:<ref name="Gowers 2014"/>
{{block indent|"A committee ''was'' appointed to consider this subject." (singular)}}
{{block indent|"The committee ''were'' unable to agree." (plural)}}
{{block indent|* "The committee were of one mind when I sat in on them." (unacceptable use of plural)}}