As a copy editor, one important aspect of my job is to ensure that the language used in an article is grammatically correct. One area that often causes confusion is notional agreement.

Notional agreement occurs when the verb in a sentence agrees with the meaning, or notion, of the subject, rather than with the strict grammatical rules of agreement. Here are five examples of notional agreement:

1. The team is playing well.

In this sentence, “team” is a collective noun, but it refers to a group of individuals. So, even though “team” is singular, the verb “is” agrees with the notion of multiple individuals playing well.

2. The group of students are working hard.

Here, “group” is the subject, but the verb “are” agrees with the notion of multiple students working hard, rather than with the singular noun “group.”

3. The number of people attending the event is high.

In this sentence, “number” is the subject, but the verb “is” agrees with the notion of a high number of people, rather than with the singular noun “number.”

4. The committee has made their decision.

In this example, “committee” is a collective noun, but the verb “has” agrees with the notion of multiple individuals making a decision together.

5. My family is coming over for dinner.

In this sentence, “family” is a collective noun, but the verb “is” agrees with the notion of multiple individuals coming over for dinner.

Notional agreement is often used to make language more natural and easier to understand. However, it is important to note that notional agreement is not always correct in all situations. As a copy editor, it is my job to ensure that notional agreement is used appropriately and does not detract from the clarity and correctness of the language.