问
（a）The Edison Telephone Company was presently swallowed up by the Bell Telephone Company. (Shaw)
(b) It was told yesterday that the company ____ me there next week for a business conference. 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 the company has the largest number of employees
more than $1,000 a year. (TOEFL) D
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)