英语中有一种集体名词，表示一类人或事物的集合体。它们的单复数含义是不同的，因此也很易误译。试举一例：
The committee are walking into the meetingplace and taking their seat.
[原译]委员会正步入会场就座。
[改译]委员会的委员们正步入会场就座。
[说明] committee 是一个集体名词，既可作单数名词，也可作复数名词。用作单数名词时指“委员会”，用作复数名词时指“委员会”这一集体的成员们。本例中谓语动词用的是复数应指“委员们”从逻辑上来说也是如此。
类似的集体名词还有family(家庭）,audience(听众，观众），class(班级）,crowd(人群），public(公众），staff(全体工作人员），personnel (全体人员）,army(大军，大群）等。此外,majority（大多数），（a) number(of) ，(a) group (of)，(a) series (of), (a) total (of)等名词也可根据具体情況用作单数或复数。
举例如下：
1. The committee comprised of 12 members is also known as the joint committee.
这个由12名委员组成的委员会也称为联合委员会。
2. His family has moved to the city.
他的家已搬到城里去了.
3. The patient's family have agreed on the date or surgery.
病人的家属已同意手术的日期。
4. The public is (are) requested not to spit.
要求公众勿随地吐痰。
5. Our class is a small one.
我们的班级是个小班。
6. The whole class are listening to the teacher attentively.
全班同学都在注意地听教师讲课。
7. The majority were (was) for Dr Smith.
大多数人支持Smith医生的意见。
8. The majority of adults obtain little or no relief from antihistamines, particularly if attacks are severe, but they may prove helpful in children.
对大多数成人来说，抗组胺药物几乎起不到或完全没有减轻症状的作用(特别在严重发作的情况下），但对儿童却可能有效。
9. A large group of antibiotics is produced by Streptomyces.
一大类抗生素是由链霉菌属制成的。
10. A large group of chemotherapeutic agents are the sulfonamide compounds used against a number of disease organisms.
一大批化疗药物是用于抑制多种病菌的磺胺类化合物。
11. The condition is especially likely to occur in those in whom a number of teeth are missing, thus making chewing difficult.
这种情况特别可能发生在那些掉了很多牙因而咀嚼困难的人。