the audience was vs the audience were

Both 'the audience was' and 'the audience were' can be correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'The audience was' is used when referring to the audience as a singular entity, while 'the audience were' is used when referring to the individual members of the audience.

Last updated: March 21, 2024 • 4771 views

This phrase is correct when referring to the audience as a singular entity.

"the audience was"

Use 'the audience was' when talking about the audience as a whole, as a single unit.

Examples:

The audience was captivated by the performance.
The audience was silent throughout the show.

Show examples from the web [+]

The audience was/were clapping for 10 minutes. an audience of 10 000 The debate was televised in front of a live audience. Wordfinderaudience, auditorium ...
Collective nouns - as if the audience <was, were> ... ? Discussion in 'English Only' started by tigerduck, Jul 20, 2006. Previous Thread Next Thread. Loading.
Feb 21, 2012 ... @MehperC.Palavuzlar: 1. The audience was united in its appreciation of the concert. 2. The audience were divided in their appreciation of the ...
The audience was/were clearly delighted with the performance. The magic show had a lot of audience participation, with people shouting things to ...

Alternatives:

the audience was impressed
the audience was pleased
the audience was moved
the audience was thrilled
the audience was entertained

This phrase is correct when referring to the individual members of the audience.

"the audience were"

Use 'the audience were' when referring to the audience as a group of individuals.

Examples:

The audience were clapping and cheering.
The audience were all dressed in fancy attire.

Show examples from the web [+]

Sep 21, 2011 ... ... countable and uncountable noun. It depends actually on the reference. The audience were devided in their opinion. THe audience is patient.
Feb 21, 2012 ... The audience were divided in their appreciation of the concert. ... the members of the set, he could use "The people in the audience were.
Jul 20, 2006 ... It is as if the audience were/was sitting inside the car, witnessing this brutal act. Could somebody also tell me if the comma after car is needed?
The audience was applauding like mad and stamping their feet in excitement. The audience were applauding like mad and stamping their feet in excitement.

Alternatives:

the members of the audience were
the people in the audience were
the spectators were
the viewers were
the attendees were

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the audience was vs the audience were

"the audience was"

"the audience were"

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