摘要：在英国英语中,当audience 表示不可分割的整体时,其谓语动词应当用单数,例如:

The audience was/were clapping for 10 minutes.

观众鼓掌10分钟。

既可以是单数又可以是复数，这是为什么？

在英国英语中,当audience 表示不可分割的整体时,其谓语动词应当用单数,例如:

The audience was large.观众数目很大。

The audience was deeply affected..观众深受感动。

当audience 表示组成该集合体的分散个体时,其谓语动词常常使用复数:

The audience were all waving their programmes.

观众都挥舞着节目单。

The audience are requested to be in their seats.

要求观众坐在自己的座位上。

The audience are dressed in a variety of ways, some in suits and dresses, some in jeans.

观众衣着各不相同,有的穿着套服和礼服,还有的穿着牛仔服。

但是,在美国英语中,audience的动词谓语大都使用单数。

对于考生来说,把这类集体名词永远看作是单数(即在概念上理解为集合体的整体),因而考虑使用单数动词和单数代词,是比较保险的。

此外,crew, public , crowd , government, family , class, company , staff, group , college , team，university等集体名词的用法,与audience 和committee 基本相同。

The train crew runs a railroad train.

列车乘务人员管理列车。

The crew are paid to do all the work on the ship.

船员们被雇来做船上所有的工作。

The public consists of you and me.

公众包括你和我。

The public are tired of demonstration.

公众对示威已感到厌倦。

The crowd has been dispersed.人群被驱散了。

A new government has come into office.

新政府已就职。

The government are discussing the proposal.

政府正在讨论这项提案。

My family is very large.

我的家庭很大。

His family are waiting for him.

他的家人在等他。

The class has elected its leader.

该班已选出班长。

The class are working on their individual projects today.

全班学生今天在搞自己的项目。

The staff was very efficient.

这里的工作人员办事效率很高。

The school's teaching staff are excellent.

这所学校的教学人员都很优秀。

来源：翅膀英语一点号