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

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)

Subject-verb agreement with collective nouns means the verb should reflect whether the group is treated as a single unit or as individuals. In this case, the head noun is team, a collective noun. The phrase that follows, “of players,” describes who makes up the team but does not change the team’s number as a subject. When the team is considered as one unit ready for a game, the verb should be singular. That makes the sentence with "is" the correct choice: The team of players is ready for the game. The other options mix plural and singular forms improperly: using teams with a singular verb, or using a plural verb with a singular head noun, creates a mismatch. In most standard usage, especially in American English, the singular form is preferred when the group acts as a single unit.