Collective nouns name a group of people or things as a single unit. In American English (standard for TOEIC), collective nouns take a singular verb. Common examples: team, staff, committee, board, company, management, audience, jury, faculty.

Rules

American English (TOEIC standard)

Collective noun + singular verb (The board has approved the plan.)

Exception: with 'of' + plural noun

Verb still agrees with the collective noun (A team of engineers is working on it.)

Example Sentences

The committee has reached a decision on the new policy.

The staff is required to complete the training by Friday.

Management has announced a hiring freeze for Q4.

The board has unanimously approved the merger.

Our team is committed to delivering the best results.

The jury has returned its verdict.

The company is expanding into three new markets.

A group of analysts has published a new report.

The faculty was informed of the schedule change.

The audience was engaged throughout the presentation.

Common Mistakes

The staff are required to complete training.

The staff is required to complete training.

TOEIC uses American English — collective nouns take singular verbs.

A team of engineers are working on it.

A team of engineers is working on it.

The subject is 'a team' (singular), not 'engineers'.

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Collective Nouns — Ngữ pháp TOEIC | CÀY TOEIC