student asking question

It's very hard to accept the concept of "we are (= equals) society" here. If this sentence was "we are living in a dark-deprived society" or "we are the member of a dark-deprived society", then it would be easier to understand, but how come "we" can be a "society"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Society refers to all the collective individuals living within a fixed unit, such as a country. Thus, the plurality of individuals means that "we" can be used. Society is also referred to by "it" in many instances. Actually, "we are living in a dark-deprived society," "we are members of a dark-deprived society," and "we are a dark-deprived society" express the same idea - that as a society (as a whole, as a group), we are deprived of the dark as there is always light around us. "We are a dark-deprived society" is direct and concise, and also expresses the speaker's idea clearly, so he has used it. Ex: We are a money-obsessed society. Ex: We live in a money-obsessed society.

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