【问】 (a) The Edison Telephone Company was presently swallowed up by the Bell TelephoneCompany. (Shaw)

(b) It was told yesterday that the company____me there next week for a businessconference.

A. shall have sent B. are going to send

C. shall be sending D.shall send(Nelson，250A)

答案为B。在句(a)中company的谓语动词为单数(was)，而在句(b)中company的谓语动词用复数(are going)，这是怎么回事呢?

【答】 当把company看成一个集合体时，其谓语动词和代词均用单数;当把company看作是可分离的组成人员时，其谓语动词和代词应用复数。下列试题中company显然是指集合体，因此其关系代词不应当用who，而应当用which：

They always give a reward to the company who has the largest number of employeescontrihuting more than ＄ 1，000 a year.(TOEFL，73.3)

association，corporation，federation，firm等词的谓语动词的单复数问题，与前面讨论的情况相似。(参见committee，family)