Select the sentence that shows correct subject-verb agreement with a collective noun.

• A. The team of players are ready.
• B. The team of players is ready.
• C. The team of players were ready.
• D. The team of players be ready.

Answer: (B)

Subject-verb agreement is about matching the verb to the number of the subject. The head noun here is team, which is singular, and the phrase of players just adds detail about who makes up the team without changing its number. Because the team is being considered as a single unit, the verb should be singular: is ready. Using are would treat the team as individuals, which changes the meaning. The other forms—were or be—don’t fit the present-tense, singular subject construction. So the sentence that uses the singular verb is the correct one.