Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement with a collective noun used as the subject?

Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement with a collective noun used as the subject?

• A. The committee is planning.
• B. The committee are planning.
• C. The committees is planning.
• D. The committee will plan.

Answer: (A)

Collective nouns can act as a single unit, so the verb often stays singular when the group is viewed as one entity. The sentence The committee is planning uses a singular subject with a singular verb form (is planning), showing that the group as a whole is performing the action right now. Treating the committee as individuals would require are planning, which is not standard in this context. Using committees as the subject switches to a plural form, and would not agree with the singular verb here. The committee will plan is also grammatically correct, but this option switches to future tense and doesn’t illustrate the present-tense agreement as clearly as the chosen sentence.

Collective nouns can act as a single unit, so the verb often stays singular when the group is viewed as one entity. The sentence The committee is planning uses a singular subject with a singular verb form (is planning), showing that the group as a whole is performing the action right now. Treating the committee as individuals would require are planning, which is not standard in this context. Using committees as the subject switches to a plural form, and would not agree with the singular verb here. The committee will plan is also grammatically correct, but this option switches to future tense and doesn’t illustrate the present-tense agreement as clearly as the chosen sentence.