Question

For the following pair a sentences choose the correct option
I. The team quickly took their positions on the field.
II. The team quickly took its position on the field.

• A. the first sentence is wrong
• B. the second sentence is wrong
• C. both are correct
• D. both are wrong

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Read the given sentences
I. The team quickly took their positions on the field.
II. The team quickly took its position on the field.

Step 2: Identify the subject
The subject in both sentences is "The team." Grammatically, "team" is a collective noun. A collective noun can be treated either as singular or plural depending on whether the group is considered as a single unit (singular) or as individuals acting separately (plural).

Step 3: Analyze Sentence I
“The team quickly took their positions on the field.” Here, "team" is used as plural, since "their positions" implies that each member of the team took an individual position. While this is understandable in casual usage, it is grammatically less precise because "team" is usually treated as singular in formal English. Using "their" with "team" is considered incorrect in strict grammar rules.

Step 4: Analyze Sentence II
“The team quickly took its position on the field.” Here, "team" is treated as a single unit, so the singular pronoun "its" is used. This is grammatically correct and considered the standard form. The collective noun is being treated properly as singular.

Step 5: Conclusion
The first sentence is wrong because it uses "their" with the singular noun "team," creating a mismatch. The second sentence is correct because it matches "team" with "its," keeping both singular.

Final Answer: The correct option is (A) the first sentence is wrong.