[Grammar] staff vs. staffs

[keen learner]

Which of these is correct?
1. The staff at the school is very efficient.
2. The staff at the school are very efficient.
3. The staffs at the school are very efficient.

 

[5jj]

In British English, #1 is possible, #2 is natural, and #3 is wrong.

 

[keen learner]

In British English, #1 is possible, #2 is natural, and #3 is wrong.

Thank you.

 

[keen learner]

In British English, #1 is possible, #2 is natural, and #3 is wrong.[/QUOTE/]

So in BrE is it preferred to view a collective noun from it's individual members' perspective over group perspective?
Example :1. The committee have passed this resolution.
2. The committee has passed this resolution.
#1. is preferred to #2.

 

[Barb_D]

And in the US, #2 is okay, #1 is natural, and #3 is wrong. Regarding post 4, #2 is preferred to #1 in the the US.

 

[keen learner]

Can we say : "The staffs at all the schools in the city are efficient."?

 

[BobK]

In British English, #1 is possible, #2 is natural, and #3 is wrong.

:up: The only case where you could use something like 3 would be something like 'The staffs at the two schools were very different' - but even then, the singular would sound better to me. I have only met the plural in an American-run company, where 'staff' has a specialist meaning: 'All managers and theirs staffs are expected to...' - where 'staff' means ' those employees at the hierarchical level immediately below a manager'.

b