Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[dido4]

(A)How is your family?
(B)How are your family?
Mia: They are OK.

Which is right? A or B , why?

thank you

[pugachevV]

A. is technically correct, but you will hear B. more often in everyday speech.

[CP]

This kind of question comes up a lot. In American English, we think of groups like team, family, company as single entities made up of individuals, so we refer to them in the singular: is our team winning?, how is your family?, my company is growing.

In British English, the plural form is used: our team are losing again, your family are all crazy, the company are moving to France.

I guess what is correct depends upon who is saying it, or at least, where it is being said.
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