NOTE I.—A collective noun conveying the idea of unity, requires a pronoun in the third person, singular, neuter; as, "When a legislative body makes laws, it acts for itself only; but when it makes grants or contracts, it acts as a party."—Webster's Essays, p. 40. "A civilized people has no right to violate its solemn obligations, because the other party is uncivilized."—Wayland's Moral Science, p. 314.
NOTE II.—When a collective noun is followed by two or more words which must each in some sense agree with it, uniformity of number is commonly preferable to diversity, and especially to such a mixture as puts the singular both before and after the plural; as, "That ingenious nation who have done so much honour to modern literature, possesses, in an eminent degree, the talent of narration."—Blair's Rhet., p. 364. Better: "which has done."
IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.
FALSE SYNTAX UNDER RULE XI.
UNDER THE RULE ITSELF.—THE IDEA OF PLURALITY.
"The jury will be confined till it agrees on a verdict."—Brown's Inst., p. 145.
[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the pronoun it is of the singular number, and does not correctly represent its antecedent jury, which is a collective noun conveying rather the idea of plurality. But, according to Rule 11th, "When the antecedent is a collective noun conveying the idea of plurality, the pronoun must agree with it in the plural number." Therefore, it should be they; thus, "The jury will be confined till they agree on a verdict.">[
"And mankind directed its first cares towards the needful."—Formey's Belles-Lettres, p. 114. "It is difficult to deceive a free people respecting its true interest."—Life of Charles XII, p. 67. "All the virtues of mankind are to be counted upon a few fingers, but his follies and vices are innumerable."—Swift. "Every sect saith, 'Give me liberty:' but give it him, and to his power, he will not yield it to any body else."—Oliver Cromwell. "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion."—Numbers, xxiii, 24. "For all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."—Gen., vi, 12. "There happened to the army a very strange accident, which put it in great consternation."—Goldsmith.
UNDER NOTE I.—THE IDEA OF UNITY.
"The meeting went on in their business as a united body."—Foster's Report, i, 69. "Every religious association has an undoubted right to adopt a creed for themselves."—Gould's Advocate, iii, 405. "It would therefore be extremely difficult to raise an insurrection in that State against their own government."—Webster's Essays, p. 104. "The mode in which a Lyceum can apply themselves in effecting a reform in common schools."—New York Lyceum. "Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods?"—Jeremiah, ii, 11. "In the holy scriptures each of the twelve tribes of Israel is often called by the name of the patriarch, from whom they descended."—J. Q. Adams's Rhet., ii, 331.