Nouns of Number
William Cobbett gives his son James some helpful examples of collective nouns.
published 1818
King George III 1760-1820
William Cobbett gives his son James some helpful examples of collective nouns.
published 1818
King George III 1760-1820
In 1818, William Cobbett MP published some letters written to his son James, in which he had developed a thorough introduction to English grammar. Cobbett was a man of strong opinions, and more than happy to illustrate his remarks on good, plain English with some good, plain speaking on corruption in the House of Commons.
Nouns of number, or multitude, such as Mob, Parliament, Rabble, House of Commons, Regiment, Court of King’s Bench, Den of Thieves, and the like, may have pronouns agreeing with them either in the singular or in the plural number; for, we may, for instance, say of the House of Commons, “they refused to hear evidence against Castlereagh, when Mr Maddox accused him of having sold a seat”; or, “it refused to hear evidence.”* But, we must be uniform in our use of the pronoun in this respect.
We must not, in the same sentence, and applicable to the same noun, use the singular in one part of the sentence and the plural in another part. We must not, in speaking of the House of Commons, for instance, say, “they one year, voted unanimously, that cheap corn was an evil, and, the next year, it voted unanimously, that dear corn was an evil.” There are persons, who pretend to make very nice distinctions as to the cases when these nouns of multitude ought to take the singular, and when they ought to take the plaral, pronoun;* but, these distinctions are too nice to be of any real use. The rule is this: that nouns of multitude may take either the singular, or the plural, pronoun; but not both in the same sentence.
From ‘Grammar of the English Language’ (1818) by William Cobbett. Additional information from ‘Hansard, May 5th 1809’. Hansard is the formal record of the proceedings of the Houses of Parliament.
* On May 5th, 1809, William Madocks, MP for Boston in Lincolnshire, rose in the House of Commons to charge Spencer Perceval (who that October became Prime Minister) and Lord Castlereagh with “corrupt practices of the Treasury with respect to the return of Members to Parliament”. The motion to pursue an enquiry was defeated 310 to 85. Robert Stewart (1769-1822), Lord Castlereagh, was a distinguished politician and diplomat who served as Foreign Secretary from 1812 to 1822. At home, he was steadfastly opposed to radicals such a Cobbett, who wanted sweeping Parliamentary reform in order to put an end to malpractice of this kind.
* Cobbett’s principle is still regarded as sound in British English. Americans are more likely to make those ‘nice distinctions’ of which he spoke, and be more strict about matching singular nouns to singular verbs or pronouns.
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
In Cobbett’s opinion, which is right: ‘Parliament is debating’ or ‘Parliament are debating’?
He would have been happy with either.
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
The Government promised not to raise taxes. Taxes have been raised.
See if you can include one or more of these words in your answer.
IBreak. IIKeep. IIIRenege.