Choose the part of the sentence that contains an error:
The committee have given its decision.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The part of the sentence that contains an error is "have given".
Explanation:
Collective Nouns: In the sentence "The committee have given its decision," the word "committee" is a collective noun.
Subject-Verb Agreement: When a collective noun acts as a single, unified entity, it requires a singular verb. The use of the singular possessive pronoun "its" further confirms that the committee is being treated as one unit.
Correction: The plural verb "have" should be replaced with the singular verb "has" to match the singular subject and the pronoun "its."
Correct Sentence: The committee has given its decision.