Tip #158: The committee is one

More effective writers understand and employ a few principles that set them apart from their less effective peers in the writing profession.  One such principle is agreement between subject and predicate.  Singular nouns take singular verbs, and plural nouns take plural verbs.

Although most writers avoid disagreement between subject and predicate in most cases, a few words provide some particular trouble.  One such word is committee.  Committee is a singular noun describing a collection of individuals.  Writers who improperly use committee tend to focus on those individual members.

But the committee is a collection, and that collection is one.  Therefore, the committee is one.  And as a singular noun, committee takes a singular verb.

Consider the example sentence in the cropped graphic above.  The writer has paired the singular noun committee with the plural noun are, thus creating a disagreement between subject and predicate.  More effective writers will revise this sentence to provide agreement.

---

---

The committee is to select the material for the new spring design.

---

Another possible revision replaces the infinitive form of the verb with the future tense.  This revision is one word shorter and avoids the passive voice of the previous revision.

---

The committee will select the material for the new spring design.

---

More effective writers ensure the subject of each sentence agrees with its predicate.  The committee is one, and so committee takes a singular verb.  Attention to details such as subject-predicate agreement produces more effective writing.  That in turn produces more effective presentations of your messages to your audience.  And more effective presentations better represent both you and your brands.