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Anonymous Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Do or Does Manchester United usually win?

My understanding is that teams are used in the plural in BrE and in the singular in AmE.

Can any native British and American make this clear, please? Do Americans always use the singular at all?

Thanks.
  

Top answer

Hello Anon In BrE, it would be more usual to say: 1. Manchester United are running out onto the pitch. 2.

— MrPedantic

  • Hello Anon In BrE, it would be more usual to say: 1.
  • Manchester United are running out onto the pitch.
  • 2.
  • Manchester United is one of the great English football clubs.
  • In #1, Man.
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2 Answers
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Hello Anon

In BrE, it would be more usual to say:

1. Manchester United are running out onto the pitch.

2. Manchester United is one of the great English football clubs.

In #1, Man. Utd is a group of people: hence the plural verb. (If you say "is running", it conjures up the image of a many-legged conga.)

In #2, Man. Utd is an entity: hence the singular v
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Americans almost always use the singular verb if the surface structure of the subject is singular. Americans make little use of the idea of "notional subject".

The whole family is gathering at Aunt Em's for Christmas dinner.
The committee is ready to announce the results.
The team has won all but one of its games this year.

But note:
Proctor and
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