Help ! I am suffering from a grammar related mental block

[BouncingTurtle]

Is it
Is everybody or
Are everybody?

I can't seem to figure out which one is correct!

is

Is

That's what I thought, but then I thought well "everybody" is plural.

Anyway, thanks for clearing that up!

I have a similar question.
Is it
That flock of birds are...
Or that flock of birds is...?

Flock being singular but made up of parts.

are

I mean flock of birds are

no - the flock of birds IS flying across the sky.

'Flock' is singular, therefore 'is' is correct.In the same way 'the Government IS pushing new legislation blah blah', but lazy news readers frequently say 'the Government ARE pushing through new legislation', which is WRONG AND MAKES ME ANGRY!!!! 'Government' is not a plural.

Sorry I've just seen the collective nouns being a singular/plural debate on several other threads. I've started another haven't I?