the rich

[norwolf]

Dear teachers.

I know the rich means the rich people, which denotes a group of the same character.
Qestion is whether the rich possibly refers to a particular person.

Thank you in advance. Please.

 

[5jj]

No. The rich, the poor, the elderly, etc can be only plural in meaning.

 

[norwolf]

No. The rich, the poor, the elderly, etc can be only plural in meaning.

Thank you, fivejedjon.
So does you/your poor always refer to plural people?
We say a poor guy rather than a poor, right?
At the same time, there is the only one exception a sixteen-year-old, isn't there?

I found another one: Now a superstar, she was an unknown only two years ago.

 

[5jj]

So does you/your poor always refer to plural people?
Adjectives are generally used with the noun omitted only after 'the' and 'many/few' and their comparative and superlative forms.
We say a poor guy rather than a poor, right? Yes
At the same time, there is the only one exception a sixteen-year-old, isn't there?
There are a few others. Michael Swan mentions 'accused', 'undersigned', 'deceased', 'former' and 'latter' in his 'Practical English Usage'.

5

 

[norwolf]

Oh, I do have the book!