“Family Is” or "Family Are"

imnobody2001 2022-08-26 发布于黑龙江

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There are some interesting rules associated with the singular and plural forms of “family.” You need to make sure you know what those rules are before writing about them, and this article will help you understand all there is to know.

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Is Family Singular Or Plural?

Family is a collective noun, thus making it singular. We would always use “family is” or any other singular verb whenever we want to talk about a family as a singular unit. If you were referring to having more than one family, you would say, “families are.”

You would only use “family are” if you’re talking about each individual member of your family. If you are not grouping them up, and you refer to them as singular people, then “are” might make more sense as a plural verb.

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When Should I Use “Family Is”?

“Family is” works in almost all cases. We use it in this way because “family” is a collective noun. We treat it as a singular unit, which implies that a singular verb is always the correct form to use.

The family is gathering already. Would you like me to tell them to wait?
I think the family is having a hard time coming to terms with this. You need to help them out.
Your family is a nightmare! I’m glad I’m not marrying into it.
My family is the best thing that ever happened to me. I wouldn’t change them for the world.
This family is important to me. We might not be blood relatives, but we’re close enough.
His family is trying to turn me away from him. I don’t like them at all.
Your family is making this easy for me. I’ve already made my decision.

When Should I Use “Family Are”?

While it’s less common, “family are” is still correct. It would help to know when it works.

We use “family are” when we are singling out each member of the family in some way. It’s common for us to see phrases like “the people in the family are” beforehand. This helps us to single out specific people to use them in the plural form.

All the people in my family are doctors.
The guys in the family are having a party about this right now.
You and your family are making this very difficult for me. Please help me instead of being a nuisance.
He and my family are making the cakes. Are there any specific flavors you’d like?
The people within the family are bickering amongst themselves. I wish they would be quiet for two seconds.
The groups in his family are already forming. They need to settle these debates quickly.
All the guys in the family are unsure whether they want to go ahead with this.

Is “Family Is” Or “Family Are” Used The Most?

It might help to know which of the two forms is more popular. While they are both correct in some cases, there is a clear winner in popularity between them.

According to Google Ngram Viewer, “family is” is used the most. This shows that “family” is more commonly treated as a single unit. We use it as a collective noun to refer to multiple family members, so it makes sense to see it in this way.

With that said, “family are” is still correct. You can tell that because the graph shows that it does get used. It simply isn’t used as much as “family is.”

Is It “My Family Is” Or “My Family Are”?

“My family is” is correct in almost all cases. We use it when we want to refer to our family as a group of people only. “My family are” only works when we’ve already singled out each member with something like “all the people in my family are.”

My family is coming to town any minute now. Please be on your best behavior.
The people in my family are hard to get along with.

Is It “You And Your Family Is” Or “You And Your Family Are”?

“You and your family are” is the only correct form. We are referring to “you” (one person) and “your family” (one unit). Therefore, there are two total units being spoken about, meaning that a plural form is always suitable whenever we use “you and your family.”

Correct: You and your family are making this quite hard for me.
Incorrect: You and your family is being ridiculous. Can’t you change your minds?

Is It “The Smith Family Is” Or “The Smith Family Are”?

“The Smith family is” is correct in most cases. We use it when we are talking about the “Smith family” as a unit of people. We might use “the Smith family are” if we single out all the members (similar to using “my family are”).

The Smith family is making this hard. We need to come to some kind of arrangement with them.
The people in the Smith family are having a hard time understanding this.

Is “Family” Singular Or Plural In American English?

According to Google Ngram Viewer, “family” is singular in American English. We can see this is the case because “family is” is the most popular choice when looking at the two forms.

family is or family are American English

Is “Family” Singular Or Plural In British English?

Likewise in British English, Google Ngram Viewer shows that “family” is still correct as a singular form. In both countries, “family are” is sometimes used, but it’s the least popular choice, meaning “family” is better used as a singular word.

Is “Family” A Collective Noun?

“Family” is a collective noun. That’s what allows us to use the singular verb form after it. We are “collecting” each member of the family into one singular unit, which is why the verb form is correct.

Is “Family” A Proper Noun?

“Family” is not a proper noun. Proper nouns require capital letters no matter where they appear in writing. Things like names and places are usually proper nouns to show their significance. “Family” should always be uncapitalized as a regular noun.