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Kooyeen Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

A team of experts is/are...

0 Hi,02br
00I know in American English collective nouns are treated as singular, so I say:02br
01i00The team is working02i00, and not 01i00The team are working,02i02br
01i00The group is playing02i00, and not 01i00The group are playing.02i02br
02br
00The problem is that I've never considered the possibility of saying "a team OF", so I really don't know what to do now...02br
02br
01b00A team of experts 01u00is/are02u00 coming here.02br
00The team of experts 01u00is/are02u00 discussing the problem.02br
00A team of experts 01u00has/have02u00 been hired.02b02br
02br
00What confuses me even more is the fact that "group" is a collective noun and takes a singular verb when it's alone (The group is playing), but takes a plural verb when followed by a plural noun (A group of children are playing soccer). Does that apply to other collective nouns too? In that case, in my sentences I should use a plural verb, and the same in:02br
02br
01b00A class of undergraduate students were listening to the professor.02br
00A series of shots were heard just after midnight.02b02br
02br
00Any advice? Thank you in advance 050010id1
  

Top answer

0Hi,02br 02br 00Generally speaking, you can use either a singular or a plural verb in such cases. The verb form you choose shows me whether you are thinking of, for example, the team as a unit or as several people. 02br 02br 00Best wishes, Clive02br 02br 01font 00 02font 0-

— Clive

  • 0Hi,02br 02br 00Generally speaking, you can use either a singular or a plural verb in such cases.
  • The verb form you choose shows me whether you are thinking of, for example, the team as a unit or as several people.
  • 02br 02br 00Best wishes, Clive02br 02br 01font 00 02font 0-
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6 Answers
0
0Hi,02br
02br
00Generally speaking, you can use either a singular or a plural verb in such cases. The verb form you choose shows me whether you are thinking of, for example, the team as a unit or as several people. Either way of thinking is valid.02br
02br
00All of your examples sound acceptable to me.02br
02br
00Best wishes, Clive02
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0
0Hi Kooyen02br
02br
01b00A team of experts are02b00 working on the latest generation of materials which will radically change the way that light behaves. 01b00...02b02br
00www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1003/1003831_invisible_cloak_a_step_nearer.html - 21k - 05000 - 05100 - 05200 02br
02
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0 Hi again,02br
00thank you for your replies.02br
02br
00Clive, you said either a singular or a plural verb is ok in my examples, but what's Canadian usage? Is it like in British English, where you can say "The team are working"? Because if you find sentences like that acceptable, then you (and probably Canadians speakers in general) are seeing it "the British way
0
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0 Hi Kooyeen02br
02br
00It would be unusual to hear "a/the team are working" in American English. However, I think the situation changes when you add an element such as "of experts". I would expect to hear both "team of experts is" and "team of experts are" in American English. 0-
0
0
0Hi,02br
02br
00My comments were meant to relate to your examples in which the group noun was qualified, eg02br
02br
01b00A team 01i00of experts 02i02b02br
01b00A class 01i00of undergraduate students 02i02b02br
02br
00Best wishes, Clive0-
0
0
0Ok, now everything is clear. Thank you 050010id1
0

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