Which sentence shows correct subject-verb agreement with a collective noun?

• A. The teams of players is ready for the game.
• B. The team of players were ready for the game.
• C. The team of players is ready for the game.
• D. The team of players are ready for the game.

Answer: (D)

The big idea here is how collective nouns interact with verbs: you often treat the group as a single unit, which takes a singular verb, but you can use a plural verb if you’re emphasizing the individual members rather than the unit as a whole.

In the phrase The team of players, the main subject is the team (a collective noun). If you’re thinking of the team as one unit, you’d typically say is ready. But if you want to stress the people who make up the team and their readiness as individuals, you can use are ready. That emphasis on the members within the group is why are fits here, signaling that the individuals within the team are ready rather than the team acting as a single unit.

The other forms mix up number with the main subject or shift the focus to the team as a unit without the same emphasis on the people inside it. For example, with teams (plural) you’d expect are, and with the team treated as a unit you’d expect is. The key concept is the choice of verb based on whether the sentence highlights the group as one entity or the people who compose it.