When drafting a corporate report, press release, or everyday business email, you might pause at a familiar dilemma: should you write “the company is” or “the company are”? If you are writing for an international or UK audience, understanding whether to use company is or are British English conventions can mean the difference between sounding natural and appearing grammatically clumsy.

In British English, both forms can be grammatically correct. Unlike American English—which almost exclusively treats corporate entities as singular—British English relies on a concept called notional agreement (or synesis). This rule allows collective nouns to take either a singular or a plural verb depending on whether the writer views the organisation as a single unified body or as a collection of individual people.

Below is a detailed guide exploring how this rule works, when to choose each form, how to keep your pronouns consistent, and more than 80 real-world examples to help you write with confidence.

The Core Rule: Notional vs. Grammatical Agreement

To master this rule, you need to understand how two major dialects of English approach collective nouns.

What Is a Collective Noun?

A collective noun is a singular word that refers to a group of individuals, objects, or items. Common corporate and social examples include company, firm, business, team, board, committee, staff, management, and government.

1. Grammatical Agreement (Form over Meaning)

Grammatical agreement looks strictly at the shape of the word. Because company does not end in an “s”, it is grammatically singular. Therefore, it pairs with the third-person singular verb is or has. This is the mandatory standard in American English:

• The firm is expanding into Singapore.

2. Notional Agreement (Meaning over Form)

Notional agreement, widely embraced across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, lets the speaker’s intended meaning govern the verb choice:

• Singular Focus (The Unit): If the company acts as a legal entity, an impersonal corporation, or a single institution, use is.
• Plural Focus (The People): If the company refers to the leadership team, the staff, or human beings acting collectively or individually, use are.

Step-by-Step Decision Framework: How to Choose

When drafting content in British English, ask yourself these three questions:

                          [Collective Noun: "The Company"]
                                         |
               Is the focus on a single corporate/legal body
                  or on the living people working within it?
                                  /            \
                                 /              \
                     [Single Corporate Body]   [Group of People]
                               /                  \
                        Use "IS" / "HAS"       Use "ARE" / "HAVE"
                               |                  |
                        Keep pronouns:         Keep pronouns:
                          "it / its"            "they / their"

1. Am I referring to the company’s legal, financial, or structural existence?
   • Choose Singular: “The company is registered in England and Wales.”
2. Am I describing a shared human emotion, decision, internal disagreement, or physical action?
   • Choose Plural: “The company are celebrating their best quarter yet.”
3. Are my pronouns consistent?
   • Never mix singular verbs with plural pronouns:
     • Incorrect: “The company is updating their privacy policy.”
     • Correct (UK Singular): “The company is updating its privacy policy.”
     • Correct (UK Plural): “The company are updating their privacy policy.”

The Cardinal Rule: Pronoun-Verb Consistency

The most frequent mistake writers make when navigating British English is pronoun shifting. If you begin a sentence with a singular verb, you must continue with singular pronouns. If you treat the company as plural, use plural pronouns.

Incorrect (Mismatched Agreement):

• The company is proud to announce that they have exceeded targets. (Singular verb paired with plural pronoun)
• The firm have announced its new corporate strategy. (Plural verb paired with singular pronoun)

Correct:

• Option A (Consistent Singular): The company is proud to announce that it has exceeded targets.
• Option B (Consistent Plural): The company are proud to announce that they have exceeded targets.

Style Tip: In formal legal documents, annual financial statements, and regulatory filings, British English almost always favours the singular (the company is / it). Plural usage (the company are / they) is more common in journalism, internal communications, human resources discussions, and casual conversation.

80+ Practical Examples Across Contexts

To help you apply these principles in any setting, explore the categorized examples below.

1. Basic Everyday Examples (1–10)

2. Intermediate Workplace Conversations (11–20)

3. Advanced Corporate & Financial Contexts (21–30)

4. Business & PR Communications (31–40)

• 31. “The company is pleased to announce a 12% increase in year-on-year revenue.” (Standard formal press release)
• 32. “The company are incredibly grateful to their loyal customers throughout the refurbishment.” (Relational, warm customer tone)
• 33. “Our software company is transforming how retailers manage stock.” (Brand positioning statement)
• 34. “The company are extending their heartfelt condolences to the families affected.” (Empathetic collective statement)
• 35. “The media company is defending a high-profile libel lawsuit in the High Court.” (Legal institution perspective)
• 36. “The company are inviting all stakeholders to share their views at Thursday’s town hall.” (Community engagement)
• 37. “The logistics company is deploying fifty electric vans across Greater Manchester.” (Operational deployment)
• 38. “The company are doing everything they can to resolve the network disruption.” (Active, hands-on mitigation)
• 39. “The insurance company is reviewing claims under section 4 of the contract.” (Contractual processing)
• 40. “The company have made it clear that customer welfare remains their top priority.” (Corporate positioning)

5. Professional Email Writing (41–50)

• 41. “Please note that our company is closed for inventory auditing until Monday.”
• 42. “The company are reviewing your application and will contact you shortly.”
• 43. “As per our agreement, the company is obliged to provide 30 days of technical support.”
• 44. “The company are delighted to offer you the position of Senior Account Lead.”
• 45. “Our company is dedicated to protecting client confidentiality at all times.”
• 46. “The company have requested an extension to submit their proposal.”
• 47. “I can confirm that the company is fully insured against professional indemnity claims.”
• 48. “The company are currently reviewing their pricing tiers for the upcoming financial year.”
• 49. “Should you require assistance, the company is reachable via our dedicated helpdesk.”
• 50. “The company are eager to hear your thoughts on the updated product demo.”

6. Academic, Editorial, & Legal Writing (51–60)

• 51. “The multinational company is analysed as an instrument of global trade policy.” (Theoretical abstract)
• 52. “In his historical critique, Smith argues that the East India Company were operating as a de facto state.” (Historical agency)
• 53. “The limited liability company is recognized under statute as a distinct legal personality.” (Jurisprudential analysis)
• 54. “The company are seen by sociologists as a micro-community with conflicting social dynamics.” (Sociological perspective)
• 55. “A joint-stock company is governed by the articles of association.” (Legal governance)
• 56. “The railway company were held responsible by the public inquiry for systemic maintenance failures.” (Collective accountability)
• 57. “The water company is subject to statutory performance targets imposed by Ofwat.” (Regulatory oversight)
• 58. “Throughout the 1970s, the motor company were plagued by frequent industrial walkouts.” (Workforce relations)
• 59. “The investment company is structured as an open-ended collective scheme.” (Financial regulation)
• 60. “The biotech company have published their clinical trial findings in The Lancet.” (Scientific contribution)

7. Student & ESL Learning Scenarios (61–70)

• 61. Simple Rule Check: “The company is big.” (Describing attribute: use singular)
• 62. Action Check: “The company are eating lunch.” (Describing physical actions of staff: use plural)
• 63. Ownership: “The company is selling its property.” (Singular entity with singular possessive)
• 64. People Focus: “The company are packing up their desks for the move.” (Individual actions with plural possessive)
• 65. Subject-Verb Balance: “The travel company is based in London, but their guides are all locals.” (Clear distinction between firm and staff)
• 66. Avoid Double Negatives: “The company is not planning any job cuts.” (Standard singular negation)
• 67. Present Perfect: “The manufacturing company has opened a plant in Leeds.” (Institutional milestone)
• 68. Present Perfect Plural: “The company have signed their union contracts.” (Individuals signing)
• 69. Past Tense Auxiliary: “The company was founded in 1894.” (Invariable: a company cannot “were founded”)
• 70. Continuous Form: “The retail company are hiring new cashiers this month.” (Active recruitment team)

8. Other Collective Nouns in British English (71–80)

To see notional agreement beyond the word company, observe these collective nouns:

• 71. Team: “The English football team are flying to Rome this evening.” (Plural athletes)
• 72. Team: “The team is at the top of the Premier League table.” (Singular unit in standings)
• 73. Government: “The government are considering tax reforms.” (Plural ministers debating)
• 74. Government: “The government is drafting new statutory instruments.” (Singular executive authority)
• 75. Board: “The board are divided on the acquisition.” (Plural board members with opposing views)
• 76. Board: “The board is scheduled to convene at 10:00 AM.” (Singular institutional assembly)
• 77. Committee: “The ethics committee have completed their investigation.” (Plural members submitting findings)
• 78. Committee: “The committee has approved the budget.” (Singular official body)
• 79. Staff: “The hotel staff are exceptionally attentive to guests.” (Almost universally plural in British English)
• 80. Family: “My family are coming over to stay for the weekend.” (Plural family members)

Side-by-Side: Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Review these common pitfalls when applying subject-verb agreement to collective nouns:

3 Quick Memory Tips

1. The “Human Substitution” Test:
   If you can swap the company for the employees or the people without changing your meaning, you can naturally use are and they in British English.
   • “The company [the employees] are working from home today.” (Natural)
2. The “Legal Entity” Test:
   If you can substitute the organisation or the corporation, stick with is and it.
   • “The company [the organisation] was sued by a creditor.” (Natural)
3. The Mirror Rule:
   Whatever verb number you choose, mirror it in your pronouns:
   • Is = It / Its
   • Are = They / Their

Interactive Practice Exercise & Quiz

Choose the most appropriate verb or pronoun for British English usage:

1. The construction company ________ (is / are) registered under company number 04392184.
2. The entire company ________ (was / were) celebrating after hearing about the contract win.
3. The insurance company has published ________ (its / their) solvency ratios.
4. The media company ________ (is / are) arguing among themselves over editorial independence.
5. In American English, the sentence “The company are releasing a new vehicle” is considered ________ (standard / non-standard).

Answer Key & Explanations

1. is — Official registration is a legal function of the single corporate entity.
2. were — “Celebrating” is an emotional human experience shared by individual workers (notional agreement). Note: was is also grammatically acceptable, but were best reflects the collective mood.
3. its — Because the singular auxiliary verb has was chosen, the pronoun must mirror it with the singular its.
4. are — The phrase “among themselves” explicitly confirms that the individual employees within the organisation hold conflicting viewpoints.
5. non-standard — American English requires grammatical agreement with collective nouns; it treats company almost exclusively as a singular noun (the company is).

Frequently Asked Questions on Company Is or Are British English

1. Can I use “the company are” in American English?

No. In American English, collective nouns like company, team, and government are treated almost exclusively as grammatically singular units. Using “the company are” will be marked as an error by US editors and grammar tools.

2. Is “company is” considered wrong in the UK?

Not at all. In British English, “the company is” is completely standard and widely used, especially in formal business reports, contracts, and financial journalism. British English simply offers the added flexibility of using “the company are” when emphasizing human agency.

3. Which is preferred in legal contracts: “company is” or “company are”?

In formal legal drafting across the UK and Commonwealth jurisdictions, singular agreement (“the Company is / it”) is standard practice. Legal systems view a limited company as an independent “juristic person” distinct from its shareholders and staff.

4. What about “the staff is” vs. “the staff are”?

In British English, staff is almost universally treated as plural (“the staff are friendly”). In American English, staff can take either a singular or plural verb, though singular remains common when referring to the workforce as a single unit.

5. What is synesis in English grammar?

Synesis (commonly known as notional agreement) is a grammatical construction where agreement is determined by the underlying meaning rather than strict grammatical form. It explains why a grammatically singular noun like company or crowd can take a plural verb in British English.

Summary & Key Takeaways

When writing in British English, you do not have to pick one absolute rule:

• Use company is (with it/its) when describing a unified commercial, legal, or financial entity.
• Use company are (with they/their) when referring to the people, workplace culture, or collective staff actions.
• Never mix your agreement within the same sentence (avoid pairing the company is with their).
• If writing for an American publication or international standard operating procedures (SOPs), default to the singular company is.

Refining your professional communication? Bookmark our Grammar Hub for step-by-step guides, practice quizzes, and real-world reference sheets tailored for global writers.

Editorial Disclaimer

This article reflects standard British and Commonwealth English editorial guidelines (including Oxford and Cambridge stylistic conventions) alongside comparative American English standards (The Chicago Manual of Style and AP Style). Specific house style guides may enforce their own preferences regarding collective nouns.

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