When you talk of a part of a noun (mass), do you use plural or singular?
Example,
"The crown shouts with their MOUTH or MOUTHS?"
"I noticed that the PADS( or PAD?) of my fingertips are dried up)"
or something like that. I always get slightly confused when it comes to this.
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Answers & Comments
Do you mean crowd rather than crown? Crown isn't a mass noun.
I would always use a plural - the crowd shout with their mouths (you wouldn't say their mouth - they is plural) Ditto pads and fingertips are both plurals.
When it comes to staff, Austin is wrong as it's ALWAYS plural - the staff are wonderful.
It depends if you are talking about something as a whole or things individually.
The crown is one thing: mouth.
Your fingertips are plural: pads.
There are many cases that could talk of both.
Example:
The staff is wonderful.
The staff are fighting.
You just have to picture what it is you are talking about as a whole.