Our family is a happy one.
The family are early risers.
7) 有些集体名词,以单数形式出现,但为复数意思。例如:
people /police /cattle 等本身就是复数,不能说 a people,a police,a cattle,但可以说a person,a policeman,a head of cattle。
the English,the British,the French,the Chinese,the Japanese,the Swiss 等名词,表示国民总称时,作复数用,如The Chinese are industries and brave。
8) hair和fruit一般情况下用单数,表示总体。但如果我们要表示若干根头发或几种水果时,就要用这两个词的复数形式
e.g. He bought apples, oranges and other fruits. (“fruits”在此处意为“多种水果”)
9) 以s结尾,仍为单数的名词,
a) mathematics, physics, polities 等学科名词,作主语时,谓语动词用单数。
b) news 为不可数名词
c) the United States,the United Nations应视为单数。
Eg: The United Nations was organized in 1945. 联合国是1945年组建起来的
d) 以复数形式出现的书名,剧名,报纸,杂志名,也可视为单数。
Eg:"The Arabian Nights" is a very interesting story-book.
C.复合名词的复数
1)以man或woman为前缀的名词变复数时,前后两个名词都变成复数。
如:woman doctor- women doctors,man waiter- men waiters
2)以两个名词构成的复合名词(前面的名词为man或woman除外),一般把后面的名词变复数。如:boy friend-boy friends, paper bag- paper bags但也有以下例外:
sports meeting