Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[gusthuber]

During a yacht race: On board we were split into watches with whom we would spend the rest of the race. In the below deck thewatch was 24 hours long and this one had to cook, clean the toilets etc.


Is `this one�okay? Can it be used to refer to a group of people?

Please comment

[pugachevV]

You should refer to a watch ( a group of people, on duty, actively sailing the boat) in the singular.
e.g. This one is the port watch, that one is the starboard watch and this one is the below deck watch.
The port watch is on duty.
The starboard watch is off duty.