Grammar Syntax Questions Medium
Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical rule that states that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. When it comes to collective nouns, which are nouns that refer to a group of individuals as a single unit, the subject-verb agreement can be a bit tricky.
In general, collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural, depending on the context and the intended meaning of the sentence. When the collective noun is considered as a single unit, it is treated as singular, and the verb that follows it should also be in the singular form. For example:
- The team is practicing for the game. (Here, "team" is treated as a single unit, so the singular verb "is" is used.)
However, when the collective noun is considered as a group of individuals, it is treated as plural, and the verb that follows it should be in the plural form. For example:
- The team are arguing among themselves. (Here, "team" is seen as a group of individuals, so the plural verb "are" is used.)
The choice between singular and plural verb forms with collective nouns depends on the intended meaning and the context of the sentence. It is important to consider whether the collective noun is being referred to as a single entity or as a group of individuals to ensure subject-verb agreement.