Collective nouns

A collective noun names a group as one unit. Common examples are family, team, class, group, club, company, and government.

American English normally treats a collective noun as singular when the group acts together: The team is ready. Our family lives in London. The class starts at nine.

Because the noun is singular, use is or has and add the third-person -s ending in the Simple Present: The club is open. The group meets after work. The government has a plan.

When you need to emphasize individual members, use a plural expression such as the team members or the people in the group: The team members are tired.

First decide whether you are naming one group or its separate members. For a group acting as one unit in standard American English, choose singular agreement.