The audience were very excited by the show. 中间的were和was都可以用?

The audience were very excited by the show. 中间的were和was都可以用?
The audience were very excited by the show. 中间的were和was都可以用?

The audience were very excited by the show. 中间的were和was都可以用?
都可以的,因为不知道说话者的意图是指一个听众,还是所有的听众,如果说话者只想说一个听众,那就用was,反之用were.
本题涉及到集合名词的谓语动词的使用方法：
英语集合名词用法说明
一、family类
family(家庭),team(队),class(班),audience(听众)等,其用法特点为：若视为整体,表示单数意义；若考虑其个体成员,表示复数意义.比较：
This class consists of 45 pupils.这个班由45个学生组成.
This class are reading English now.这个班的学生在读英语.
二、police类
cattle(牛,牲畜),people(人),police(警察)等,其用法特点为：只有单数形式,但却表示复数意义,用作主语时谓语用复数；不与 a(n) 连用,但可与the连用(表示总括意义和特指)：
People will laugh at you.人们会笑你的.
The police are looking for him.警察在找他.
Many cattle were killed for this.就因为这个原因宰了不少牲畜.
【注】表示牲畜的头数,用单位词 head(单复数同形)：three head of cattle (3头牛),twenty (head of ) cattle (20头牛).
三、goods类
goods(货物),clothes(衣服)等,其用法特点是：只有复数形式(当然也表示复数意义,用作主语时谓语也用复数),但通常不与数词连用：
Such clothes are very expensive.那样的衣服很贵.
To whom do these goods belong?这些货是谁的?
四、baggage类
baggage / luggage(行李),clothing(衣服),furniture(家具),machinery(机器),poetry(诗),scenery(风景),jewelry(珠宝),equipment(设备)等,其用法特点为：是不可数名词,只用单数形式,不用不定冠词(当然更不能用数词),没有复数形式：
Our clothing protects us from [against] the cold.我们的衣服可以御寒.
Have you checked all your baggage?你所有行李都托运了吗?
【注】machinery,poetry,jewelry,scenery等相应的个体可数名词是 machine,poem,jewel,scene等.如：a poem / a piece of poetry(一首诗),many machines / much machinery / many pieces of machinery(许多机器).
五、hair的用法
hair(头发,毛发)指全部头发或毛发时,为集合名词(不可数)；指几根头发或毛发时,为个体名词(可数)：
My hair has grown very long.我的头发已长得很长了.
The police found two hairs there.警察在那儿找到了两根头发.
六、mankind的用法
mankind(人类)是一个不可数的集合名词,不用复数形式,也不连用冠词：
This is an invention that benefits mankind.这是一项造福人类的发明.
Mankind has its own problems.人类有自己的问题.
【注】mankind 表示“人(类)”时,虽不可数,但有时却可以表示复数意义,尤其是当其表语是复数时：
Mankind are intelligent animals.人是理智的动物.
七、fruit的用法
fruit(水果)作为集合名词,它通常是不可数的：
He doesn’t eat much fruit.他不大吃水果.
He is growing fruit in the country.他在乡下种水果.
但是,当要表示种类时,它可视为可数名词,即a fruit 指一种水果,fruits 指多种水果.比较：
Some fruits have thick skins.有些水果皮很厚.
The potato is a vegetable,not a fruit.土豆是一种蔬菜,而不是一种水果.
有其他疑问欢迎追问,

对的，是看成整体还是个人