problem with collective nouns

[MaX]

Hi

I have small problem with collective nouns because I don't understand the difrences between subclasses of this kind of nouns( my handbook is A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language by Quirk&Greenbaum). Could anyone explain me what are difrencees bewteen specific generic and unique classes?

See u

[Pete]

Hi

I have small problem with collective nouns because I don't understand the difrences between subclasses of this kind of nouns( my handbook is A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language by Quirk&Greenbaum). Could anyone explain me what are difrencees bewteen specific generic and unique classes?

See u
I'm sorry, but I don't have that book. Did it show examples of the various classes that it defined? If you could quote their definitions and give some examples, I might be able to explain it in different words.

Of course, if someone else has this reference and can explain, that would be good.

[MaX]

Yes of course I have some examples of that.

Collective nouns differ from other nouns in taking as pronoun either singular or plural without change of number in the noun.
And we have 3 subcalsses of collective nouns:

a) Specific: (unfortunately I don't have pure defenition of that, maybe that's why i don't understand that) : army, clan, class, club comitee, crew, crowd

b)generic: the aristocracy, the bourgeosie, the clergy, the public

c) unique: The Arab League , the Kremlin, The vatican.

[Pete]

Yes of course I have some examples of that.

Collective nouns differ from other nouns in taking as pronoun either singular or plural without change of number in the noun.
And we have 3 subcalsses of collective nouns:

a) Specific: (unfortunately I don't have pure defenition of that, maybe that's why i don't understand that) : army, clan, class, club comitee, crew, crowd

b)generic: the aristocracy, the bourgeosie, the clergy, the public

c) unique: The Arab League , the Kremlin, The vatican.
Actually these categories apply to other types of nouns as well at to collective nouns. I'll try to show how particular examples fit the stated category:

a- Specific: any use of one of these nouns refers to a particular collective, but different uses may refer to different collectives. For instance, look at the word "army". There have existed many different armies in different places and times, but when you use the word, you are referring to one of those specific armies. "In the American Civil War, the army of the Confederate States had fewer supplies than the army of the Union." Here, each of the 2 uses refers to a different particular army.

b- generic: Here, a the word refers to a universal concept. For example, take "the public". This word refers to all "ordinary people" (not rulers) as a whole: "If the public is opposed to a policy, no government can enforce it forever." We don't refer to one particular public versus another one.

c- unique: these nouns, often proper names, refer to one specific collection. The Kremlin, for example, with one meaning is the name of a building, but used as a collective noun, refers to the Russian government and the people who make it up.

-- Note that at times a word may be used in one way, and at times in another.

- government - generic (not collective) : "Government is necessary to protect people from each other."
- government - specific collective - "In the U.S., the government include legislators, executives, and jurists."