0

Is it “What tools is your team using for collaboration?” or “What tools are your team using for collaboration?”?

My normal tactic would be to rephrase the question as a statement and consider “Your team is using these tools for collaboration” vs. “Your team are using these tools for collaboration”, which seems to suggest that “is” is correct here, but something seems awkward about that.

Pygmalion
  • 141
  • 3
    British English is quite happy with "Your team are", and it passes unnoticed. American pundits object to it and insist on "your team is". However, the plural tools, though logically an object, and so irrelevant to the number of the verb, exercises a strong pull on it, and many people are uncomfortable with is there. – Colin Fine Apr 09 '20 at 22:59
  • Americans also say 'police is'. Brits say 'police are'. – Decapitated Soul Apr 10 '20 at 00:05
  • @Decapitatedsoul, what? If they're talking about the band, sure. But if they're talking about law enforcement officers, no. – The Photon Apr 10 '20 at 00:46
  • This was previously asked here and here and here and here and here, and probably a few more times. As Colin Fine says above, this is BrE vs AmE, and you will find the general answer here. – RegDwigнt Apr 10 '20 at 01:04

0 Answers0