Everyday Grammar - VOA Learning English Talking about Sports Teams - April 18, 2024
Apr 18, 2024
A lively look at how to talk about sports teams and which verbs to use. Plural team names like the Packers take plural verbs. Collective nouns and city names often use singular verbs in American English. Some team names are mass nouns, creating variation. British usage and real WNBA examples show different agreement patterns.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Plural Team Names Take Plural Verbs
- Use a plural verb with team names that are plural nouns like the Green Bay Packers.
- Jill Robbins cites "The Packers are owned by the fans," showing the verb agrees with the plural noun Packers.
Collective Nouns Are Usually Singular In American English
- Collective nouns like team, audience, and staff are usually treated as singular in American English.
- Jill Robbins notes Americans say "his team is playing well this season," while British speakers might say "his team are playing well this season."
City Names Use Singular Verbs
- When a team is referred to by its city name, use a singular verb because the city is a singular noun.
- Jill Robbins uses "Green Bay is the third oldest team" to show city-name subjects take singular verbs.