“The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team was expected to win the IPL 2026 championship, and they have won it.” Is this sentence grammatically correct?

The query above comes from a student reader based in Delhi. It is a question well worth discussing.

Yes, the sentence is grammatically correct. I did not ask the reader what prompted the question, but I suspect that the shift from the singular noun team to the plural pronoun they may have caused some confusion.

This raises an interesting question: Do collective nouns such as team, committee, family, government, audience, class, staff, and crowd take singular or plural verbs?

The answer depends on the variety of English being used. In American English (AmE), collective nouns are generally treated as singular and therefore take singular verbs. In British English (BrE), however, collective nouns are often treated as plural when the focus is on the individual members of the group.

Consider the following examples from American English:

Is the school basketball team capable of winning the title?

I think the finance committee has reached a decision about sponsoring the event.

My family lives in Chennai, and I think yours lives in Delhi.

The new government has announced a policy allowing women to travel without tickets.

Throughout the IPL final between RCB and GT, the audience was enthusiastic.

The class is not at all interested in participating in grammar activities.

Is the staff planning to meet today?

The crowd was cheering loudly, and its enthusiasm inspired the players to perform at their best.

These collective nouns take singular verbs because each noun refers to a group acting as a single unit. However, even when the verb is singular, the pronoun may sometimes be plural if the writer is thinking about the individual members of the group rather than the group as a whole. Consider these examples:

The Indian cricket team is playing well, and they (the players) are confident.

Our school staff is organizing the programme, and they (the teachers) are known for their organizational skills.

In British English, collective nouns are often treated as plural:

The Australian cricket team are known for their consistency.

The government have announced their plans.

The important point to remember is that whether a collective noun takes a singular or plural verb depends on the variety of English being used and on whether the writer views the group as a single unit or as a collection of individuals.

Collective nouns can be grammatically singular but notionally (meaning wise) plural. Now read this story titled One Group, Many Individuals

It was a busy evening in the city.

The newly formed board was meeting to review an important audit report. As a decision-making body, the board was acting as a single unit. Yet, inside the meeting room, opinions differed sharply. Some members wanted immediate action, while others preferred caution. Although the board was one entity, they could not agree on the next step.

At the same time, the local police force was searching for a group of suspects. The force functioned as a single organization, but the officers involved in the operation soon realized that they had lost the suspects in the darkness.

Elsewhere, the town choir was rehearsing for a winter gala. The choir was performing as one group, but they were constantly arguing about which songs to include.

Across town, the jury was deliberating on a difficult case. The jury was expected to reach a verdict, but they seemed unable to find common ground.

The committee responsible for selecting an award winner was also facing problems. The committee was supposed to make an announcement that evening, yet they requested more time to complete their work.

Beyond the city limits, the army was advancing through a valley. The army was carrying out its mission as a single force, but they were struggling with supply shortages.

Back in the city, the football team was celebrating a championship victory. The team had won together, and they were enjoying a well-earned rest.

Near the stadium, a swarm of reporters was gathering. The swarm appeared to be one crowd, but they were all competing to ask questions….

A busy evening, indeed!

These examples show how collective nouns are often treated as singular units, even though they consist of many individuals.

The story demonstrates that a collective noun can be treated in two ways: As one unit: singular verb (The team is playing well) or as many individuals: plural verb (The team are celebrating their victory). In short, collective nouns sit at the intersection of grammar and meaning. The writer’s perspective determines whether the group is viewed as one or as many.

Some nouns that refer to groups always take plural verbs because they denote the individuals within the group rather than the group as a single unit. Examples include police, cattle, people, and poultry.

Look at this headline: “India win the cricket world cup.”

Is the sentence grammatically correct? Yes, it is.

In sports, the name of a country is frequently used as a collective noun for its team. Here are a few examples:

“Brazil are playing in the finals tonight.”

“Australia are the favourites to win the tournament.”

While plural verbs are standard in BrE, AE generally treats these as singular. To ensure it sounds natural across all regions, we can rephrase it slightly: “India wins the cricket world cup.”

(Dr Albert P’Rayan is an ELT resource person and education columnist. )