audience:

‘audience’ is a singular noun with plural meaning used with a singular verb

a large audience at an entertainment show

a group of people/spectators listening to a speaker or watching an entertainment show, performance, sports event, etc.;

the number of people that read a book or watch a TV show or an entertainment programme though they all do not join together at one place;

viewers; listeners; a crowd,

a dignitary having an audience with the Pope

e.g.

The audience at Michael Jackson’s concert shrieked jumped and shook whenever Jackson made a favourite move.

The young writer is beginning to find more and more audience for her new book, i.e. more and more people are reading her new book.

While making his speeches, Al Gore, the former US vice-president and environmentalist, usually showed some ghastly pictures and videos which actually made a lot of impression on his audience.

Note: ‘Audience’ is also used for a formal interview or hearing with a religious head or a state dignitary, e.g. “The charity volunteers were given an audience by the Queen.”
For an interesting article on ‘how to impress your audience’, please click here.
There is some confusion in using either a singular verb or a plural verb after the word ‘audience’ in the subject part of a sentence, and there are several explanations given for either usage. The speaker on the video you see on the right of this text uses this word in its singular form ‘audience’ and in its plural form ‘audiences’, besides using it in its adjective position ‘audience development’. For an article that explains the usage, please click here and click here.

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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