It is likely that a new pair of shoes brings more happiness to a child than a new car brings to a grown-up.
I always wear a pair of long pants underneath, or a pair of pyjamas is just as good.
He put on a pair of brown shoes, which were waiting there for him.
He wore a pair of earphones, which were plugged into a radio.
You use a plural pronoun after a pair of.
She went to the wardrobe, chose a pair of shoes, put them on and leaned back in the chair.
He brought out a pair of dark glasses and handed them to Walker.
Referring to groups: collective nouns
1.47 Some nouns in English refer to a group of people or things. These nouns are called collective nouns. They have only one form, but many collective nouns have other meanings in which they are countable nouns with two forms.
singular or plural verb
1.48 When you use a collective noun, you can use either a singular verb or a plural verb after it.
You choose a singular verb if you think of the group as a single unit, and a plural verb if you think of the group as a number of individuals.
Our little group is complete again.
A second group are those parents who feel that we were too harsh.
Our family isn’t poor any more.
My family are all perfectly normal. The enemy was moving slowly to the east. The enemy were visibly cracking.
His arguments were confined to books which the public was unlikely to read. The public were deceived by the newspapers.
The names of many organizations are collective nouns, and can be used with a singular or a plural verb.
The BBC is sending him to Tuscany for the summer.
The BBC are planning to use the new satellite next month.
England was leading 18-0 at half-time.
England are seeking alternatives for their B team.
GE reports its second-quarter financial results on July 16.
New England is going to sign him to a long-term contract.
If you want to refer back to a collective noun, you choose a singular pronoun or determiner if the previous verb is singular, and a plural pronoun or determiner if the previous verb is plural.
The government has said it would wish to do this only if there was no alternative.
The government have made up their minds that they’re going to win.
1.49 Note that the words bacteria, data, and media are now often used as collective nouns, that is with either a singular or a plural verb and no change in form. Some careful speakers think they should only be used with a plural verb because they have the rare singular forms bacterium, datum, and medium and are therefore countable nouns.
Medieval Arabic data show that the length of the day has been increasing more slowly than expected.
Our latest data shows more firms are hoping to expand in the near future.
1.50 Although you can use a plural verb after a collective noun, these nouns do not behave like the plural forms of countable nouns. For example, you cannot use numbers in front of them. You cannot say Three enemy were killed. You have to say Three of the enemy were killed.
list of collective nouns
1.51 Here is a list of common collective nouns:
aristocracy
army
audience
bacteria
brood
cast
committee
community
company
council
crew
data
enemy
family
flock
gang
government
group
herd
jury
media
navy
nobility
opposition
panel
press
proletariat
public
staff
team
Some collective nouns are also partitives (nouns that are used to talk about a quantity of something). For example, you talk about a flock of sheep and a herd of cattle. See paragraph 2.198 for more information about these.
Referring to people and things by name: proper nouns
1.52 When you talk about a particular person, you can use their name. Names are usually called proper nouns.
People’s names are spelled with a capital letter, and do not have a determiner in front of them.
…Michael Hall.
…Jenny.
…Smith.
Ways of using people’s names when you are speaking to them directly are explained in paragraphs 9.95 to 9.99.
1.53 Sometimes a person’s name is used to refer to something they create. You can refer to a painting, sculpture, or book by a particular person by using the person’s name like a countable noun. You still spell it with a capital letter.
In those days you could buy a Picasso for £300.
I was looking at their Monets and Matisses.
I’m reading an Agatha Christie at the moment.
You can refer to music composed or performed by a particular person by using the person’s name like an uncountable noun.
I remembered it while we were listening to the Mozart.
…instead of playing Chopin and Stravinsky all the time.
relationship nouns
1.54 Nouns that refer to relationships between the people in a family, such as mother, dad, aunt, and grandpa, can also be used like names to address people or refer to them. They are then spelled with a capital letter.
I’m sure Mum will be pleased.
titles
1.55 Words that show someone’s social status or job are called titles. They are spelled with a capital letter.
You use a title in front of a person’s name, usually their surname or their full name, when you are talking about them in a fairly formal way or are showing respect to them.
…Doctor Barker.
…Lord Curzon.
…Captain Jack Langtry.
…Mrs Ford.