Question

How to correct the sentence : The committee was divided on this issue​

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct sentence is:

The committee were divided on this issue.

Explanation:

This is a tricky question because as we see it according to the grammar rule then we should treat committee as a collective noun and in collective noun we always use verb that is used for singular subjects and these verbs are like 'is' and 'was'. But here in this case scenario is different because instead of taking committee as a collective noun here we will consider it as the committee members because everyone have their own opinion and because of that they were divided on particular issue.

So, the correct sentence is : The committee were divided on this issue.

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Answer 2

Answer:

The committee were divided on this issue.

Explanation:

• A committee refers to a group of members who have a same goal but each member has a different role to play.
• It is a collective noun.
• Since there are multiple individuals with their own opinions in a committee, the term cannot be taken in a singular sense.  
• So here, the term 'committee' is to be considered as a plural noun. (The committee members were divided on this issue).

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