13.Collective nouns: Collective nouns are singular nouns which refer to a group, e.g., audience, class, family, flock etc. A collective noun takes a singular verb when the group acts as a whole: The audience is so large.
A collective noun takes a plural verb when the members of the group are considered to be acting individually: The audience were throwing flowers onto the stage.
14. Concord of time, distance, money and measurement: Nouns that represent these items take the singular verb even when they appear like plural: Twenty million dollars has been spent on the project. Forty kilometers is what we have to cover. Twenty minutes was spent on registration of participants. Four weeks is enough for the investigation.
15. Number of Concord: When article ‘a’ precedes ‘number of’ in subject position, the plural noun that follows is seen in diversity and the verb will be plural. And when ‘the’ precedes, the plural noun is seen in unity and the verb will be singular: A number of people come here daily. The number of students was alarming.
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