Business

Question

"Shares of the News Corporation have plunged 61 percent in the last year. By contrast, shares of Walt Disney, which unlike the News Corporation has exited old-media businesses like newspapers and radio over the last few years, shed 30 percent. Even Time Warner, a perennial underperformer, has fallen about 40 percent, over the same period. "

Should "businesses" be read in the sense of
a) an organization
b) a type of business activity
?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

b

Clive

SmilyCat · Answer

Thank you for your answer Clive!

I was looking at a dictionary:
www.learnersdictionary.com/search/business

and found entry 1a, which suggest that business activity is NOT very countable. Maybe I am reading it wrong....

Clive · Answer

Hi,

the newspaper business
the radio business

That's two types of business activity.

Clive

SmilyCat · Answer

Thank you Clive!

So the dictionary is missing a few entries?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Learner dictionaries are always less complete.
Maybe you read it wrongly.
What does 'not very countable' mean?

I didn't look at the link.
Clive

SmilyCat · Answer

Thanks Clive!

So this (which I found from a newspaper) is wrong:

"Winners of “Britain’s Got Talent,” one of a host of talent shows that are among the most-watched programs in Britain, receive about $160,000 and a spot on the roster of the Royal Variety Performance, presented in front of the Queen. Their high profiles also virtually assure that they will have lucrative careers in show business. "

An article "a" or "the" is missing?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Alas, articles can be very idiomatic.

We say eg He is in the newspaper business.
But we don''t say eg He is in the show business.

In other words, your phrase in red is correct.

Clive

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