The number of a pronoun that refers to a collective noun is determined by the function of the collective noun.

Question

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The number of the pronoun that refers to a collective noun depends on whether the collective noun is functioning as a singular or plural noun in the sentence. For example, "The team is practicing. They are working hard." Here, "team" is a collective noun functioning as a singular noun, so "they" is a plural pronoun referring to the individuals within the team. However, if the sentence were "The team are arguing. They can't agree on a strategy," "team" would be functioning as a plural noun, and "they" would refer to the team as a whole.

The Number of a Pronoun That Refers to a Collective