The United States was in debt vs The United States were in debt

The phrase 'the United States was in debt' is correct. When referring to a country as a singular entity, we use the singular form of the verb 'to be.' In this case, 'was' is the correct form to use. 'The United States were in debt' is incorrect because it uses the plural form of the verb, which is not appropriate when talking about a single country.

Last updated: March 19, 2024 • 493 views

This phrase is correct. When referring to a country as a singular entity, the singular form of the verb 'to be' should be used.

"The United States was in debt"

This phrase is used when talking about the financial situation of the United States as a single entity.

Examples:

The United States was in debt after the war.
In 1835, the United States was in debt for the first time.
During the recession, the United States was in debt.
The report showed that the United States was in debt.
By the end of the year, the United States was in debt.

Show examples from the web [+]

Apr 21, 2011 ... When Congress established its budget process in 1974, the United States was in debt by about a half-trillion dollars; it is now in debt over $14 ...
Anti-trust laws were avoided, and the United States was in debt from the first Great War. The Secretary of Treasury, Mellon, tremendously reduced taxes, which ...
Excluding financial derivatives that refer to interest rate and foreign exchange contracts, the United States was in debt in the amount −$3.628 trillion (cell I24).
Jul 29, 2011 ... I asked Maceo if he realized that the United States was in debt, and that Obama, Boehner, and Congress were trying to decide whether to ...

This phrase is incorrect. When referring to a country as a singular entity, the singular form of the verb 'to be' should be used.

"The United States were in debt"

Show examples from the web [+]

The United States were in debt to the world; how they met those obligations was an important test of the new states, one which Massachusetts was determined ...
Apr 27, 2011 ... Published: July 27, 2011. “A national debt, if it is not excessive, will be to us a national blessing.” – Alexander Hamilton. With Congress at a ...
Sep 30, 2008 ... 221 years ago, a time when many people in the United States were in debt and states were printing worthless money, the new nation was in ...

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The United States was in debt vs The United States were in debt

"The United States was in debt"

"The United States were in debt"

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