Need help from an English major

[jjskribs]

Which would be correct?

The Cardinal and Gray won their first game of the season...

or...

The Cardinal and Gray won it's first game of the season.....

Thanks for any imput!

 

[NookOfTheNorth]

"Use a singular pronoun to refer to a collective noun acting as a group." I am assuming that the Cardinal and Gray is a singular team (one group of people); therefore I would use "its". You would not use "it's" because that means it is.

 

[singingpixie]

Right, if you're referring to the team as a whole, you use the singular. If you are referring to the members of the team, you use the plural.

 

[Cantw8]

Right, if you're referring to the team as a whole, you use the singular. If you are referring to the members of the team, you use the plural.

This is correct

 

[pogo791]

Right, if you're referring to the team as a whole, you use the singular. If you are referring to the members of the team, you use the plural.

As said, that is correct. However, the plural would be more in line with popular usage: "Do you think Miami will win their season opener on Thursday?" Probably the main reason for this is that the names of teams are almost invariably in the plural: the Miami Dolphins, the New York Yankees, the LA Clippers. Offhand, I can only think of three teams in professional sports that are in the singular, all by coincidence basketball teams: Utah Jazz, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.

However, if your talking about competitions between countries (for example at the Olympics), the rule mentioned by Singingpixie is probably followed more closely.