not us (use)

Collective nouns such as team, staff, jury and family can take either singular or plural verbs. Use is when you view the group as a single unit; use are when you view the individuals inside the group. Context, tone and audience usually decide which reading fits.

Below: quick rules, regional notes, many real-world rewrites for work, school and casual contexts, plus tests you can run on the spot.

Quick answer

Use 'the team is' when the group acts as one unit (common in American English). Use 'the team are' when you mean the members individually or when British usage favors plural agreement.

American English: 'The team is winning.' (group as one)
British English: 'The team are arguing among themselves.' (members acting separately)
If you're unsure, rewrite: 'The team members are...' or 'The players are...'

How collective nouns work (core explanation)

Collective nouns can be read two ways: unity (singular) or plurality (members). Choose the verb that matches the reading you intend.

Unity → singular: 'The team is unbeaten this season.'
Individuals → plural: 'The team are arguing about who should start.'

Ask yourself: am I describing the group acting together, or the people inside it? That choice usually fixes the verb.

British vs American usage

British English more often uses plural verbs with collectives when the focus is on the members. American English usually treats the collective as a single entity and prefers singular verbs.

Follow your audience: use American conventions for U.S. readers and British conventions for UK readers.
For mixed or international audiences, prefer clarity by naming the people or rewriting the sentence.

Real usage and tone

Singular verbs read tighter and more formal; plural verbs feel more conversational and personal. Match the verb choice to the tone you want.

Formal/report: 'The team is committed to meeting the deadline.' (official memo)
Conversational/sports: 'The team are celebrating the win already.' (focus on players)

Examples: common wrong/right pairs

The pairs below show choices that can confuse a reader or clash with a regional style. Each pair includes a short context.

Work - Wrong: The team is split on whether to accept the new contract. -
Right: The team are split on whether to accept the new contract. (Plural emphasizes individual opinions.)
Work - Wrong: The team is planning its presentation for Monday. -
Right: The team are planning their presentations for Monday. (Members have separate tasks.)
School - Wrong: The team is handing in the lab reports tomorrow. -
Right: The team are handing in their lab reports tomorrow. (Students submit individually.)
School - Wrong: The team is required to attend the workshop. -
Right: The team members are required to attend the workshop. (Clear and unambiguous.)
Casual - Wrong: The team is arguing about who scored the goal. -
Right: The team are arguing about who scored the goal. (Focuses on players' reactions.)
Casual - Wrong: The team is wearing their new shirts tonight. -
Right: The team are wearing their new shirts tonight. (Match verb and pronoun number.)

Try your own sentence

Test the full sentence in context - that usually makes the right choice clear. Use the widget below for a quick check.

Fix your sentence - step-by-step rewrites

If you're unsure, try these three quick options: decide if you mean the group or the members; rewrite to name the people; or match pronouns and verbs.

Option A (group-as-unit): keep singular - 'The team is ready to present.'
Option B (individuals): use plural or name the people - 'The team members are ready to present.'
Option C (avoid choice): specify the unit or each person - 'Each player is ready' or 'The organization is ready.'

Ready rewrites:

Original: The team is confused about the new policy. - Rewrite (work): The team members are confused about the new policy.
Original: The team is passing in their coursework this week. - Rewrite (school): The students on the team are passing in their coursework this week.
Original: The team is all over the place tonight. - Rewrite (casual): The players are all over the place tonight.

Memory tricks and quick diagnostics

Two fast checks help you pick the right form: the replacement test and the pronoun agreement test.

Replacement test: swap 'the team' with 'it' and with 'they'. If 'they' fits naturally, use are.
Pronoun check: avoid mixing singular verbs with plural pronouns. 'The team is ... their ...' signals a mismatch.
When in doubt, name the people: 'The players/team members are...' is usually safe.

Example: 'The team is exhausted.' Try 'They are exhausted.' If that sounds right, use 'are'.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Other collectives follow the same pattern: family, staff, jury, committee. Also watch phrases with number:

'A number of students are late.' (plural)
'The number of students is increasing.' (singular)
'Family' and 'staff' follow the unity vs. individuals choice: pick is or are based on meaning and audience.

Practical checklist before you hit send

Quick scan to catch agreement errors:

Decide: unity or individuals? Pick is or are accordingly.
Match pronouns: its ↔ is, their ↔ are.
If the audience is mixed, prefer a clear rewrite (team members, players, staff).

Example rewrite: 'The team is delayed' → 'The team members are delayed' or 'The team as a whole is delayed', depending on meaning.

FAQ

Is it 'The team is' or 'The team are'?

Both are possible. Use 'the team is' for the group as a unit (common in US usage). Use 'the team are' to emphasize individual members (common in UK usage). When in doubt, rewrite to name the people.

Which do newspapers use: 'team is' or 'team are'?

US outlets usually use 'team is'; UK outlets often use 'team are' when focusing on players' actions. Follow the style guide of the publication you are writing for.

Should I change 'the team is' to 'the team are' in school essays?

Follow your instructor or school style. If none is specified, pick one approach and use it consistently, or avoid the choice by writing 'team members are'.

Why does 'the team is' sound wrong when I use 'their' later?

That's a number mismatch. Either make both singular ('the team is ... its coach') or both plural ('the team are ... their coach'), or rewrite to remove the mismatch.

How can I check a sentence quickly?

Do the replacement test (try 'it' and 'they'). If still unsure, paste the sentence into the widget above or into a grammar tool to get instant suggestions and rewrite options.

Need to check one sentence fast?

When speed matters, rewrite to a clear phrasing (team members, players) or paste your sentence into the checker above for a quick, style-aware suggestion you can copy into an email or essay.