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Anonymous Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
plural / singular in connection with companies
In business correspondence I often find sentences like this one: "There is a manufacturer in Kenya called XY who manufactures biscuits, however, they do not have lemon biscuits in their range.".
In such sentences there is a mix-up of singular and plural: "a" (= 1) manufacturer who does this and that turns into a "they". I understand that a manufacturing company cannot be called "he", "she" or "it", but is there any general grammar rule how to deal with this problem?
Burkhard
In such sentences there is a mix-up of singular and plural: "a" (= 1) manufacturer who does this and that turns into a "they". I understand that a manufacturing company cannot be called "he", "she" or "it", but is there any general grammar rule how to deal with this problem?
Burkhard
Top answer
I think the person who has wrote this letter, has meant the company's personnel. He's used "they", because from his point of view, there are two business situation : we - our company (me and others or whole personnel), and they - others companies, or particular one company's stuff.
- I think the person who has wrote this letter, has meant the company's personnel.
- He's used "they", because from his point of view, there are two business situation : we - our company (me and others or whole personnel), and they - others companies, or particular one company's stuff.
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3 Answers
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I think the person who has wrote this letter, has meant the company's personnel.
He's used "they", because from his point of view, there are two business situation : we - our company (me and others or whole personnel), and they - others companies, or particular one company's stuff.
He's used "they", because from his point of view, there are two business situation : we - our company (me and others or whole personnel), and they - others companies, or particular one company's stuff.
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The meaning is clear, but I would be interested to learn what would be grammatically correct phrases. I encounter the same problem very often. There are people who say e.g.:
"XY is a good company and has been a market leader for many years. They are financially very strong."
and other who say:
"XY" are a good company and have been a market leader for many years. They are financial
"XY is a good company and has been a market leader for many years. They are financially very strong."
and other who say:
"XY" are a good company and have been a market leader for many years. They are financial
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You are talking about the collective noun usage. There is a difference between AmE and BrE.
From http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/020.html
Some nouns, like committee, clergy, enemy, group, family, and team, refer to a group but are singular in form. These nouns are called c
From http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/020.html
Some nouns, like committee, clergy, enemy, group, family, and team, refer to a group but are singular in form. These nouns are called c
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