机关、团体、地方，例如 Bank of Japan，Labour Party，Hong Kong Sport Club，Ministry of Finance，the press，the city，the village，the neighbourhood等既可作单数也可作复数。在美国英语中，单数的集体名词通常看作单数。在英国英语中，人或动物的单数集体名词却既可看作单数，也可看作复数，但无生命东西的集合体的单数名词，如 cluster（of grapes），collec－tion（of books），bunch（of keys），pair（of shoes，scissors，glasses）只看作是单数。
有些集体名词通常作复数看待，但相应表示其成员的词，却可有单数形式：
The nobility have become poor．
This nobleman has become poor．
The peasantry（or tenantry，yeomanry）were underfed．
The peasant（or tenant）was underfed．
The gentry are rich．
This gentleman is rich．
The police are well－trained．
That policeman is well－trained．
Mankind are destroying their own civilization．
Man is destroying his own civilization．
Humanity is destroying its own civilization．
The human beings are destroying their own civilization．
The laity are not able to understand this term．
A layman is not able to understand this term．
The clergy are opposed to it．
A clergywman is among us．
The cavalry have fought bravely．
This cavalryman has done something great．
The infantry were defeated．
Every infantryman was healthy and strong．
The militia are to defend their town．
No militiaman knows about the infiltration of the enemy．
The youth are the future of a nation．
A youth is waiting at the bus stop for his girlfriend．
The British（or English，Irish，Scotch，Spanish，Dutch，French）are....
A Briton（or Englishman，Irishman，Scotsman，Spaniard，Dutchman，Frenchman）is....
有些集体名词，形式上是单数，前面却可以加数词，后面跟复数动词：
A hundred clergy are meeting．
Twenty police（＝Twenty policemen）are coming．
Twenty thousand infantry are setting out．
Many gentry are opposed to the measure．
Those folk（s）（or people）are hard－headed．
His sixteen offspring are all working with him．
All his kindred are living in London．
Three million population of this city are well－fed．
Four thousand cattle are to be exported．
有些名词经常有-s或-es词尾，它们都跟复数动词：
The eaves are pretty．
Riches are not always dependable．
The odds are against us．（比较：What is the odds？——口语体）
Thanks are expressed．
Clothes are（Clothing is）not much needed here．
These goods are to be delivered．
另一些这类名词是：archives，assets，belongings，earnings，grounds，rapids，nuptials，oats，premises，procceeds，quarters，remains，savings，scales，woods，winnings
有些疾病的名称带有-s词尾，但都作单数看待：
The measles（or mumps，rickets，smallpox，shingles）is a disease very common in this village．
有些名词通常带-s或-es词尾，它们后面既可跟单数动词，也可跟复数动词：
抽象名词：
Every means（＝ method） has been used．All means（=methods） have been used．
An alms（or Much alms）was given to the poor．
These alms were given to the poor．
Great（or Much，Little）pains have（or has）been taken．
The tidings is（or are）bad．（比较：The news is—不能用are—bad．）
His wages are 3000 dollars a month．The wages of sin is death （old usage）．A living wage is received only by a few work－ers．
An amends is necessary．These amends are satisfactory．
This species is rare．These species are valuable．
A series of battles was（or were）being fought．
Many series of battles have been fought．
地方名称：
The headquarters of the trade is in London．The headquarters of these various trades are in London．
A barracks is standing on the hill．Some barracks are the largest in this country．
A（general）stores is located at the corner．Several new（gen－eral）stores are being set up．
A glass－works is being built．These two glass－works are the best in this area．
A golf-links（= golf－course）is in the eastern part of the city．
Some golf－links are very far from here．
A crossroads is usually dangerous，but some crossroads are safe．
A gallows is being set up．Some gallows are left idle．
A shambles has replaced the prosperous city．Many shambles present themselves to our eyes．
Kensington Gardens is a nice place．There are not many botanical gardens in this country．
A lodgings is easy to find．Many lodgings are for rent．
“Is there a public baths here？”“There are many public baths．”
A kennels is where dogs are bred．Some kennels sell precious dogs．
His whereabouts is（or are） unknown．
物件名称：
The bellows（or scissors，pincers，tongs，forceps，shoes，pants，shorts，glasses，etc．）are lying in the corners．
A pair of bellows（or scissors，pincers，tongs，etc．） is lying idle．
有些动物的名字并不带-s或-es词尾，但可以用作复数或单数名词：
Salmon（or Trout）（作为食品）is delicious．
These salmon（or trout） are caught in that river．
Fish（作为食品） is their only food．Three fishes are visible in the water．A lot of fish are caught．
Poultry（作为食品）is delicious．The poultry（作为活的动物）are drinking water．
The sheep is（or are）sleeping．
A deer is playing．Some deer are running．
有些名词似乎不可数，却可有单复两种形式，有不同意义：
His career has reached its climax．Their careers have been suc－cessful．（一个人有一番事业。许多人有许多番事业。）
His beard is impressive．Their beards are long．
The mane of this horse is thin．The manes of those horses are thick．
His offspring is healthy．Their offsprings are all soldiers．
The population of this city is thin．The populations of these two cities are similar．
The language of the U．S．A．is English．The languages of Britain and the U．S．A．are almost the same．
The alphabet of English is twenty－six letters．
The alphabets of English and French are a little different from each other．
有些学科的名称，虽以-s结尾，却都作单数看待：
Mathematics is an important subject in schoo1．
Economics is a study of production and consumption．
Dramatics is his subject．And accoustics，too．
如果一个学科名称用来表示某些实际事务，则可作为复数：
My mathematics are poor．
The economics of this country are stable．
Such politics are foolish．Such tactics are ridiculous．
Gymnastics are popular today．
The ethics of some politicians are doubtful．
Statistics on this subject are incorrect．
某些以-s结尾的游戏或球类名称作为单数看待：
Billiards（or Bowls，Dominos，Draughts）is my favourite game．
但：Cards are not interesting to me．
以-ese结尾的国民名称可作为单、复两种形式：
That Japanese（or Chinese，Portuguese，Vietnamese）is my friends．
Those Japanese（or Chinese，Portuguese，Vietnamese） are my friends．
有些外来术语，有特别的单数及复数形式：
This axis（or medium，radius，larva，analysis，criterion，Phenomenon，oasis，libretto，soprano）is…（单数形式）
Those axes（or media，radii，larvae，analyses，criteria，phenomena，oases，libretti，soprani）are...（复数形式）
The data is（or are）...
由一个形容词加the来代表一类人时，都作为复数：
The honest（= The honest people）are always trustworthy．
The poor are to be relieved．
The blind are unfortunate．
The strong，the rich，the wicked are respected as the wise．
The oppressed are to rise one day．
有个别这类形容词代表单个的人，后面要跟单数动词（这些多为法律用语）：
The dead（or deceased，departed）was fifty years of age．
The bereaved is（or are）still young．
The condemned（or accused）is absent．
His intended（or betrothed）is young．
有些形容词加the后表示抽象概念或具体东西，但都作单数看待：
The beautiful（= Beauty）is the ideal of life．
The true looks less attractive than the false．
The familiar is always more desirable than the unknown．
The inside of the palace is more beautiful than the outside．（the inside＝the inside part）
The white of an egg is full of protein．
长度、重量、时间等名称多作单数看待：
Fifty dollars（= The sum of fifty dollars）is not a large sum．
Three yards（= The length of three yards）is not enough．
Six months（= The period of six months）is too short a time to learn anything．
Five kilograms（= The weight of five kilograms）is enough．这类带数词的名词前还可加一个指示词：
One short seven days is like seven years．
That three dollars（＝ That capital of three dollars）was the beginning of his career．
That second six months was happy indeed．
Every ten minutes is a trial．
A fortnight is not long enough to do the job．
This two kilograms of meat is enough for ten persons．
An estimated two thousand persons was killed in this hurri－cane．
A good ten miles is the distance we have climbed．
A happy three days has passed like a dream．
Such a weary six years was to me a terrible dream．
Ten apples（= Such a number of apples）is enough．
Two thousand immigrants is the quota for us this year．
如对组成部分加以强调，动词也可用复数形式：
Fifty dollars are too expensive．
Three yards cost thirty dollars．
书名、电影名等，即使里面包含有复数名词，也作单数看待：
Gulliver's Travels is my favourite book．
City lights is a famous movie．
Giants of the Earth is an opera．
The Canterbury Tales is（or are）very interesting．
复数的专有名词都在后跟复数动词：
The Philippines have seven thousand islands in the Pacific．The Himalayas are the roof of the world．
The Niagara Falls are the falls on the Niagara River．
The Great Lakes are a series of five lakes between the USA and Canada．
The Dardonelles are a strait 40 miles long and 1—4 miles wide．
The Pleiades are a cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus．
The Olympics are an international athletic competition held ev－ery four years．
其他复数专有名词还有：the Canaries，the Solomon Islands；the Alps，the Rockies，the Urals，the Pyrenees，the Andes；the Graces，the Fates；the Netherlands
少数例外情况：
The USA is a wealthy and strong country．
The United Nations is an international organization working for the peace of the world．
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