For example, we repeatedly get questions like this one: Should I say “My family is coming to dinner Friday” or “My family are coming to dinner Friday”?

Grammatically, either can be considered correct. It depends on whether you think of the collective noun family as singular or plural—“notional agreement,” as it’s sometimes called.

But by itself, that answer doesn’t solve the problem. No matter which version you choose, some people will think it sounds a little off. So don’t limit yourself to those two choices. Take a step back for a wider view, and consider other options.

One of the most useful solutions is simply to add a word—usually a helping verb. When we use a single, one-word verb, we have to worry about agreement with its subject—she is, they are, he was, they were, and so on.

But look what happens when we shift to a two-word verb. Now we can say things like she will be, they will be, or he might be, they might be. Using a verb phrase can free us from worrying about whether the subject is singular or plural.

Circling back and applying this idea to our original question, we now have some new options, including perfectly acceptable sentences like “My family will be coming to dinner Friday night.”

The problem’s gone, and the extra word doesn’t hurt a thing. So don’t fall into the “false-dichotomy” trap, the idea that you have to choose between the first two choices that occur to you.

In language, there are almost always other possibilities.

And don’t think it’s always a good idea to eliminate every word you can. Shorter isn’t always better.