My question really is just about phrases like "the police are already here", "the police are puzzled by the report" etc.
Giles wrote:Indeed, collective nouns always a tricky one. Once again, my question is specifically about the "the police", possibly as an exception to the rule also in American English.
- The background here is a friendly disagreement with a client (who has very good English but is not a native speaker).
http://icosa.hkbu.edu.hk/ wrote:Police is a specially case. Police is plural rather than singular and so have only the plural form.
englishgrammar.org on MAY 4, 2013 wrote:Some uncountable nouns are plural. They have no singular forms with the same meaning, and cannot be used with numbers. Common examples are: groceries, arms, remains, goods, customs, clothes, thanks, regards, police etc.
• The police are searching for a white man in his twenties.
• Have you bought the groceries? (NOT Have you bought the grocery?)
• Many thanks for your help.
Other plural uncountable nouns include trousers, jeans, pyjamas, pants, scissors, spectacles etc.
Steve James wrote:Well, I'd say that there's no "correct." But, put it like this "The Police are a band" or "The Police is a band." Now, "The Police are a band that played rock music." "The Police is a band than plays rock music." Both are "correct." There is not a difference between British and American English in that sense.
Steve James wrote:It all depends on the context in which the noun is used and whether the writer is using it as a singular or plural. The police are many things to many people.
Police is a "plural uncountable noun."
Steve James wrote:Police is a "plural uncountable noun."
Where I agree is that no one would say "the police "is" coming" is grammatically correct because "police" is considered plural. I said it depends on what the writer means and the reader understands. It is possible to say "the police is" was my point.
Steve James wrote:"The police is an uncountable noun."
Bill wrote:The police is the community and the community is the police.
NOTE: FOUND ON THE INTERNET.
marvin8 wrote:Steve James wrote:"The police is an uncountable noun."
Can you give a correct sentence with "the police is" in the spirit of the OP?
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