WORD FOR THE DAY "confound" (v.) "1. to perplex or amaze ...; bewilder; confuse; 2. to throw into confusion or disorder; 3. to throw into increased confusion or disorder; 4. to treat or regard erroneously as identical; 5. to mingle so that the elements cannot be distinguished or separated. 6. to damn, used in mild imprecations: Confound it! Obsolete: to spend uselessly; waste. Syn. "flabbergast, embarrass, astonish, perplex." (dictionary dot com)

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Words that confound: collective nouns

Correct English can confound. For example, the following words are collective nouns, referring to a collection of related things (people, animals, things) that can't be counted. Often they confound business people who use them in emails, memos, letters, and even presentations or speeches. Usually the authors of the communication are not even aware they've used their words incorrectly. (Maybe the reader isn't aware, either, which is a good thing.) Yet, it is important to remember how to use collective nouns correctly, just in case your reader IS aware of proper English and would lose some amount of respect for you if the words were misused.

Nevertheless, what gets tricky for us is remembering this rule AND applying it in this global business world. No surprise, American and British English differ in how they view collective nouns. In American English, collective nouns are always singular, and so are their pronouns. In British English, they’re usually plural.

So, here are some common collective nouns: PEOPLE – army, band, class, committee, company, staff, team; ANIMALS – flock, gaggle, herd, pack, school, swarm; THINGS – bunch, clump, pair, set, stack, etc.

AND, here are some examples to remember, especially with regard to PEOPLE in the business environment:

   1. The committee has drafted a plan it believes in. Am. The committee have drafted a plan they believe in. Br.

   2. The company has issued a press release. Am. The company have issued a press release. Br.

   3. The staff is done for the day, so it can go. Am. The staff are done for the day, so they can go. Br.

   4. The data speaks for itself. Am. These data speak for themselves. Br. ("Datum" is actually the singular form of "data," but we Americans no longer use that Latin word. "Data" for us is singular. See an interesting discussion at English Spark )

Now we all know it's difficult to keep grammar rules top-of-mind in our business communication. Collective nouns are often VERY CONFOUNDING. Yet, when we spot a collective noun, it should alert us that there might be a grammar trap lurking in the words. Pick up your trusty grammar reference book, and do a double-check. It could keep your reader from doing a double-take as he or she reads your email.

Sources:

http://www.englishspark.com/en/students/356-is-data-singular-or-plural “data”

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/3288/is-staff-plural “staff”

http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/nouncollective.htm “committee”