Spanish has several situations in which it may not be obvious
whether a singular or plural verb should be used. These are some
of the most common such cases: Collective nouns: Collective
nouns — ostensibly singular nouns that refer to a group of
individual entities — can be used with either a singular or
plural verb for reasons that aren't always clear. If the
collective noun is immediately followed by a verb, a singular
verb is used: La muchedumbre piensa que mis discursos no son
suficientemente interesantes. (The crowd thinks my speeches
aren't sufficiently interesting.) But when the collective noun
is followed by de, it can be used with either a singular or
plural verb. Both of these sentences are acceptable, although
some language purists may prefer one construction over another:
La mitad de habitantes ciudad tiene por lo menos un pariente con
un problema de beber. La mitad de habitantes tienen por lo menos
un pariente con un problema a deber. (Half of residents have a
relative with a drinking problem.) T