集体名词作主语时,谓语的数要根据主语的意思来决定.如family,audience,crew,crowd,class,company,committee等词后用复数形式时,意为这个集体中的各个成员,用单数时表示该个集体.
如：His family isn't very large.他家不是一个大家庭.
His family are music lovers.他的家人都是音乐爱好者.
但集合名词people,police,cattle,poultry(家禽).militia(民兵).vermin等在任何情况下都用复数形式.