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Which verb agrees with its collective noun subject?

The newlywed couple __________ bringing an additional casserole to the barbecue.
a. is
b. are

User NobodyNada
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1 Answer

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The answer is A. A collective noun can either take a singular or a plural verb depending on how you think it is. When you consider a couple as two separate individuals, you can use 'are'. But, you can also say that these two individuals are a single unit so use 'is'. In the sentence, since they're newlywed, you can consider them as one. 
User Rohit Dalal
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