Arlene Miller
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09:17 AM - Jan 07, 2024
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ffranny
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In response to Arlene Miller.
Don't they consider collective nouns such as "team" or "company" to be plural in the UK? I know I've heard British people say things like "the team are working on" as in your example.
08:18 AM - Jan 08, 2024
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Arlene Miller
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I believe it is the same as in American English. Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on if you are emphasizing the group or the individuals in the group. If everyone in the team is working on something different, plural. If the team is all working together on something, singular
In response to ffranny.
09:30 AM - Jan 08, 2024
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ffranny
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In response to Arlene Miller.
Hmm. I never considered that. I suppose it's because only the plural usages caught my ear as being different from what I usually hear. Makes sense, though.
08:41 AM - Jan 09, 2024
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Arlene Miller
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In response to ffranny.
It sounds weird because most people just use the singular for collective nouns. But compare:
The band is playing a march (together).
The band are tuning their instruments (individuals)
01:10 PM - Jan 09, 2024
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