Which is correct of these sentences?

Question

-The staff are fairly helpful and friendly.
-The staff is fairly helpful and friendly.

Answer 1

The second question is the correct one. Good Luck!

Answer 2

The staff is fairly helpful and friendly

Answer 3

The Staff IS fairly helpful and friendly.

In sentences using "are" should be used for more than one, (plural) and the "Staff" is singular, as one whole group. If you were to say, the staff members ARE fairly helpful and friendly, that would work also.

Answer 4

-The staff is fairly helpful and friendly

Answer 5

* If "staff" here is used like the word "team" or "group" as a singular body, the second sentence would be correct:
"The staff is fairly helpful and friendly."

* However, if you mean the staff as a collective noun, such as when class is used as a plural, then the first sentence is correct:
"The staff are fairly helpful and friendly."

I looked up "staff" "collective noun" and found the listing on dictionary.com copied below, which includes "staff" as a collective noun, similar to "class," that can be used as either singular or plural depending on context.

Since this sounds strange to most people to use "class" or "staff" as a plural, if you want to use the plural to mean everyone on the team acting as individuals, I would clarify this by saying:

"All the staff members are friendly and helpful."

So there is no confusion that you mean the plural usage.

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collective noun
–noun Grammar. a noun, as herd, jury, or clergy, that appears singular in formal shape but denotes a group of persons or objects.
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[Origin: 1510–20]


—Usage note Whether a collective noun, which is singular in form, is used with a singular or plural verb depends on whether the word is referring to the group as a unit or to its members as individuals. In American English, a collective noun naming an organization regarded as a unit is usually treated as singular: The corporation is holding its annual meeting. The team is having a winning season. The government has taken action. In British English, such nouns are commonly treated as plurals: The corporation are holding their annual meeting. The team are playing well. The government are in agreement. When a collective noun naming a group of persons is treated as singular, it is referred to by the relative pronoun that or which: His crew is one that (or which) works hard. When such a noun is treated as plural, the pronoun is who: His crew are specialists who volunteered for the project. In formal speech and writing, collective nouns are usually not treated as both singular and plural in the same sentence: The enemy is fortifying its (not their) position. The enemy are bringing up their heavy artillery.When the collective nouns couple and pair refer to people, they are usually treated as plurals: The newly married couple have found a house near good transportation. The pair are busy furnishing their new home. The collective noun number, when preceded by a, is treated as a plural: A number of solutions were suggested. When preceded by the, it is treated as a singular: The number of solutions offered was astounding. Other common collective nouns are class, crowd, flock, panel, committee, group, audience, staff, and family.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Answer 6

Depends.

You will not be surprised to know that there are differences between American English and British English. I assume you are using the word "staff" as in hotel employees. Americans say that hotel staff is singular. On the other hand, the British say that hotel staff is plural. #1 is correct in England. #2 is correct in the US.

Clear as mud?

Answer 7

The correct one is:

The staff is fairly helpful and friendly.

It depends on how you word it, here's where "are" would be correct:

Although the staff is not particulary large, they are fairly helpful and friendly.

Answer 8

-The staff is fairly helpful and friendly.

s

Answer 9

hi
The correct sentence is
The staff is fairly helpful and friendly
but that would depend on how many ppl you are dealing with.

Answer 10

the latter