Is
Were there cattle on the road?
grammatically correct? What is the rule regarding the usage of was and were around collective nouns ?
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"The board has unanimously resolved ..." :)– KrisCommented Oct 26, 2014 at 16:11
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@Kris - "Board" is a collective noun. Cattle, like people, is not a collective noun. The people have spoken, not the people has spoken.– David HammenCommented Oct 26, 2014 at 17:03
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@David You didn't get the joke. :)– KrisCommented Oct 26, 2014 at 17:15
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1 Answer
Cattle is a plural noun that refers to more than one cow or bull. The collective noun that refers to a bunch of cattle as a group is "herd". The herd is moving, but the cattle that comprise the herd are lowing.
