the whole country表示“全国人民”时是单数还是复数

The whole country _______ horrified by the killings.

填 was 还是 were，或者两者都可以？求解，谢谢！

country不是集体名词。需要用单数。用复数为错误。

虽然词典对the coountry的讲解之一为people who live in this caountry. 但毕竟不是集体名词。The whole country作主语，意义上可以指整个国家的人，但在语法上却是单数形式，谓语需要用单数。比如：

Thewholecountrywasstunned and the collective grief is a testimony to his popularity.

...and later thewholecountrywasheartened by their exploits.

It seemed that thewholecountrywaswilling him on.

Thewholecountrywasoutraged.