At issue in this analysis is the pronoun "they," a particularly troublesome pronoun when its referent is a collective noun. This is because a troublesome grammatical issue is whether or not a collective noun should take a singular or plural predicate. The issue might seem arcane, but it does reflect a considerable shift in the usage of that pronoun, and in language in general. This paper will consider some of the reasons that this problem exists, and then cite some major examples that show the wrong use. At the conclusion, we will attempt to see what importance and impact, if any, this has on clear and concise communications.
II. Traditional Treatment of the Problem
Whether a collective noun will be used with a singular or plural verb depends on whether the word refers to the group as a unit or to its members as individuals. In American English, a noun naming an organization regarded as a unit is usually treated as singular.
The corporation is holding its annual meeting.
In British English, such nouns are commonly treated as plurals.
The corporation are holding their annual meeting.
The concept of collective nouns has been troublesome for many years. For example, when the founding fathers were creating the Constitution, certainly a piece of clear writing, they ran into the problem of collective nouns. As related on a web site concerning the creation we find:
The Founders mainly used the term "militia" as a collective noun, and when asked to define it, one of them George Mason, said it was "the whole people, except for a few officials". This definition is indicative, but not entirely adequate, because it does not explain why we need a separate word from "people" if it means almost the same thing. Mason, like most of the Founders, tended to think and write in terms of concrete things rather than in abstractions ("Constitution" 2001, Online).
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