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RileyR
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What would you say?
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Hi Everyone!
What would you say:
a crew of experts use different techniques
or
a crew of experts uses different techniques
I told my students we use the first sentence but I didn �t know how to explain why�.
Any help will be useful.
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15 Oct 2013
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SaraMariam
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I would actually use the second one, because it is A (one) crew (of experts.) |
15 Oct 2013
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RileyR
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I know.. it makes sense... but one of the teachers in my school is from South Africa and she insisted on the first sentence...
I am confused |
15 Oct 2013
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RileyR
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and the first sentence sounds better....
also, my american friends would use the first one.... |
15 Oct 2013
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diana_elena
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With collective nouns such as crew you can use either a singular or a plural verb. You choose a singular verb (a crew experts uses different technique) if you think of the group as a single unit or a plural verb (a crew of expert use different techniques) if you think of the group as a number of individuals.
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15 Oct 2013
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RileyR
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Thank you Diana! It �s a nice way to put it out....
I think like American and sometimes can �t explain the things I say |
15 Oct 2013
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cunliffe
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I would use the plural �a crew of experts use ... � As Diana says, you can use either singular or plural with collective nouns. I think the plural sounds better here because it isn �t just �a crew � - it �s followed with �of experts � and so the plural agreement comes more naturally.
By the way, it �s a colourful way to describe a group/team of experts!
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15 Oct 2013
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diana_elena
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English grammar can be tricky sometimes ...but I had a very though grammar teacher in college, and that was a good thing especially because my primary profession is translator
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15 Oct 2013
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libertybelle
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A crew is like an umbrella that is one thing but covers for many - just like a family is composed of many people but the unit of a family is one.
I wouldn �t use the word crew at all in this example.
Crew is usually people working on a boat, a group of backstage people or people who work in groups - often manual labor.
I would use the work a group of experts.
You �d never say a crew of scholars.
Libertybelle
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15 Oct 2013
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