Do collective nouns take a plural or singular verb?

Question: Do collective nouns take a plural or singular verb?

Answer: That's a good question, and there isn't always a clear answer.

There is one rule that is clear: When the collective noun (a noun that refers to more than one thing or person) is followed immediately by a verb, the noun typically is treated as singular.

Examples: La gente cree que las cosas están mal. (People believe things are bad). La muchedumbre fue manipulada. (The crowd was manipulated.)

However, when there are words that intervene — especially de followed by a plural noun — Spanish speakers are inconsistent in the verbs they use. Authorities also disagree on which choice of verb is proper. Note the following examples, all found recently through a search of Spanish-language web pages:

• Somos un grupo de personas que conforma la lista de correo electrónico. (We are a group of people who belong to an email list.) Somos un grupo de personas que deseamos compartir con ustedes. (We are a group of people who wish to share with you.)
• Un rebaño de nubes negras pasea por el cielo. (A group of dark clouds marches across the sky.) El rebaño de hembras deben integrarse en el de los machos. (The herd of females ought to blend with one of males.)
• En el 2008, la mitad de los cibernautas serán habitantes del tercer mundo. (In 2008, half of Internet users will be residents of the Third World.) La mitad de las empresas españolas realizará on line el 20 por ciento de sus transacciones. (Half of Spanish busineses will carry out 20 percent of their transactions online.)
• Una docena de chicos se alimenta en el basural. (A dozen children are feeding themselves in the dump.) Una docena de entidades crean una plataforma para impulsar el laicismo. (A dozen entities are creating a platform to promote expanded use of the laity.)

There are some authorities who indicate that the choice of singular or plural verb depends on whether it refers more to the group or to the individual entities that make up the group. But as you can see from the examples above, in real speech no such distinction is made.