0
Rommel Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Are all the verbs used acceptable?

Grammarians say that when a group of persons is considered a single unit, it has to take a singular verb. I hear natives say the following statements:

The Beatles was a popular rock band.
The Beatles were a popular British rock band.
The Carpenters was a popular American duo.
The Carpenters were a popular American duo.

My question is: Are all the verbs used acceptable?
  

Top answer

Rommel Are all the verbs used acceptable? No. The names of the groups are plural, forcing the plural.

— Mister Micawber

  • Rommel Are all the verbs used acceptable?
  • No.
  • The names of the groups are plural, forcing the plural.
  • Compare: The Beatles were a popular rock band.
  • Steppenwolf was a popular rock band .
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0
RommelAre all the verbs used acceptable?
No. The names of the groups are plural, forcing the plural. Compare:

The Beatles were a popular rock band.
Steppenwolf was a popular rock band.
New York is a strong baseball team.
The Yankees are a strong baseball team.
0

Related Questions