In text editing, which error results from subject-verb disagreement: "The group of officers are ready" vs "The group of officers is ready"?

In text editing, which error results from subject-verb disagreement: "The group of officers are ready" vs "The group of officers is ready"?

• A. The sentence "The group of officers are ready" is incorrect; the correct form is "The group of officers is ready."
• B. The sentence "The group of officers are ready" is correct in all contexts.
• C. The sentence "The group of officers is ready" is incorrect.
• D. The sentence "The group of officers are ready" and "The group of officers is ready" are both correct depending on emphasis.

Answer: (A)

Subject-verb agreement with collective nouns. The main subject here is “group,” which is singular, even though it’s followed by the prepositional phrase “of officers.” When you refer to the group as a single unit, you use the singular verb: “The group of officers is ready.” Using “are” would treat the group as if its members are acting separately, which changes the meaning and isn’t the standard form for this construction. In some contexts or varieties, people might choose “are” to emphasize individuals, but for formal writing and typical test expectations, the correct form is “is ready.”

Subject-verb agreement with collective nouns. The main subject here is “group,” which is singular, even though it’s followed by the prepositional phrase “of officers.” When you refer to the group as a single unit, you use the singular verb: “The group of officers is ready.” Using “are” would treat the group as if its members are acting separately, which changes the meaning and isn’t the standard form for this construction. In some contexts or varieties, people might choose “are” to emphasize individuals, but for formal writing and typical test expectations, the correct form is “is ready.”