Is family always singular?

In American English, "family" will almost always be used with a singular verb. In British English, it may be used with a singular or a plural verb depending on whether the speaker feels that "family" is being described as a unit or as a group of individuals.
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Why is family considered as singular?

Collective nouns can be taken as singular or plural, according to whether the word is seen as a unit or as individual items. For example: Thefamilyis proud ofitslineage. Family is seen as a whole unit and so takes singular verb and pronoun.
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Can family be a collective noun?

Family, for example is a collective noun. It stands for one unit or group but consists of more than one person. Here are some more examples of collective nouns: family, team, jury, committee, organization, class, herd, army, council, group, audience, panel, board, flock, staff, choir, orchestra.
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Do we say family is or family are?

Both “My family is” and “My family are” are correct in British English, while “My family is” is most common in American English. This is because “family” is a collective noun, and American English generally treats collective nouns as singular, while British English treats them as plural.
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Is the whole family plural?

Most collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural, with either a singular or plural verb: The whole family was at the table. The whole family were at the table.
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Do We Say FAMILY IS or ARE? Singular or Plural: Advanced Collective Nouns | Countable



Is family single or plural?

In American English, "family" will almost always be used with a singular verb. In British English, it may be used with a singular or a plural verb depending on whether the speaker feels that "family" is being described as a unit or as a group of individuals.
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Is a family name singular or plural?

Names are proper nouns, which become plurals the same way that other nouns do: add the letter -s for most names (“the Johnsons,” “the Websters”) or add -es if the name ends in s or z (“the Joneses,” “the Martinezes”).
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How do you use family correctly?

Families Is Plural

When two or more families get together, we have lots–or plural. If all those families together own something, we just add an apostrophe. For instance: The Smith families' dogs.
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How do you say family in plural?

The plural of 'family' is 'families'. For example: ''There are two new families living in my neighborhood. '' Just be careful because it can sound like the possessive form (family's) which is used to talk about something that belongs to your family - e.g. ''my family's car broke down''.
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What is singular of family?

Singular. family. Plural. families. The plural form of family; more than one (kind of) family.
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Which pronoun is used for family?

'Family' is a singular, collective noun. However, when talking about a family, the correct pronoun is 'they'.
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What type of noun is family?

The noun "family" is usually a common noun, but it can be used as a proper noun as well.
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What are some nouns for family?

Synonyms of family
  • clan.
  • house.
  • tribe.
  • household.
  • folks.
  • people.
  • lineage.
  • race.
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Why is everyone considered as singular?

The words everybody and everyone are pronouns that describe a group of people, but grammatically they are singular. The last part of each word is a singular noun: body and one. Below are some example sentences: Everybody is coming to the house after the show.
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What verb is used for family?

In senses 1 and 2, family is usually followed by a singular verb: The family now lives in London.My family comes from Scotland originally. In British English, you can also use a plural verb: The family now live in London.My family come from Scotland originally.
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Can a group be singular?

When the group is being considered as a whole, it can be treated as a single entity: “the group was ready to go on stage.” But when the individuality of its members is being emphasized, “group” is plural: “the group were in disagreement about where to go for dinner.”
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How do you address a family in plural?

Add -es or -s to write the family's last name in plural form. Add an apostrophe at the end to show possession.
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When addressing a family is it apostrophe S?

Rule #2: You never need an apostrophe when signing or addressing cards. (Apostrophes imply possession, which isn't what you're trying to do. You're simply naming them in the plural.) These rules mean you should write out any last name in full, whether Williams or Garcia, and simply tack something onto the end.
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Should I use family or families?

Family is the singular form whereas 'families' is the plural form. This is the main difference between the two words. The word 'family' denotes a group of persons that belong to the same household. It comprises of members of the household such as a father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother and the like.
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How do you write family in a sentence?

Example Sentences

a death in the family There are several doctors on his mother's side of the family. She wants to spend more time with her family. After his father's death he became the head of the family. She's a friend of the family.
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Is correct to say your family is?

You should use are because "you and your family" is a plural subject. When the subject of a sentence has two parts joined by "and" it makes the subject plural, so you should use a plural verb. Below are more examples of sentence subjects with two parts.
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How do I put family first?

6 Ways to Put Your Family First This Year
  1. Create a Routine. Make a daily schedule and create a realistic routine that works for your family. ...
  2. Be Present. Try not to go on social media, check work emails, etc. ...
  3. Take a Family Vacation. ...
  4. Plan Family Activities. ...
  5. Be Supportive. ...
  6. Build Strong Relationships.
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Is it the Smiths or Smith's?

All you need is an “s” at the end of the name (Smiths, Johnsons). If you have trouble remembering whether the apostrophe is necessary, think of your message. For instance, if you mean to say, “The Smiths live here,” then you don't need the apostrophe on the sign or that sentence.
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Is it Jones or Jones's?

Jones = Mr. Jones's. Some people favor adding only an apostrophe to a singular noun ending in s, but if you follow the rule, you can't be wrong. If a plural noun does not end in an s, you must make it possessive by adding an apostrophe and an s: women's; children's.
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Is it Thomas or Thomas's?

So a safe solution is to treat singular nouns ending in S the same way you treat singulars nouns not ending in S: Form the possessive with an apostrophe and an S. Thomas's house. The important thing to remember is that Thomas is singular.
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