Why singular ?

Question

hi,The following sentence was sent to me by an employer.The 2009 entry vacancy we currently have is for a position in our investment team. Our 2010 entry holds both investment and accounting vacancies.question1Clearly, there must be more than 1 vacancy.Why he wrote2009 entry vacancy?question2Clearly, there must be more than 1 entryWhy he wroteOur 2010 entry? thanks

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I suspect that "entry" has a special meaning/definition for him.

Eg., "Our 2010 roster still has three vacancies."

"Entry" clearly does not mean "candidate."

Also, "vacancy" and "entry" may be either countable or uncountable.

"Vacancy is very high in our apartment building right now. In fact, we have seven vacancies."

"Illegal entry into the US has slowed recently. In the past three months there have been only seven million illegal entries."

Uktous · Answer

when vacancy means "unfilled job position", it is countable.

However, the employer still writes "vacancy".

I know that he is right, because usually in this case people will write "vacancy"

But I don't know the reason

Avangi · Answer

The 2009 entry vacancy we currently have is for a position in our investment team. Our 2010 entry holds both investment and accounting vacancies.

You say "clearly there must be more than one vacancy." Why "clearly"? It's not clear to me.

Do you think the 2010 vacancies are plural because they are in two categories?? (only one vacancy in each category)

Maybe his English is not too good. The 2009 statement is all singular: "[it] is for a position"

I suppose it's possible he's speaking of "the position" as a job classification (singular) while 2010 has openings in two classifications (plural). In this case he may be using "vacancy" as uncountable noun.

"We have a vacancy of two openings for the position of accountant." Does that make sense?

I don't think a native English speaking American would put it this way, but it's not ungrammatical.

Uktous · Answer

I suppose it's possible he's speaking of "the position" as a job classification (singular) . In this case he may be using "vacancy" as uncountable noun.

thank you, you are excellent
it is very convincing

Avangi · Answer

Thanks.  It was a very worthwhile exercise. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

CalifJim · Answer

uktousThe 2009 entry vacancy we currently have is for a position in our investment team. Our 2010 entry holds both investment and accounting vacancies.

I know you have already discussed this, but let me state, right or wrong, what I think this means.

In 2009 we have one entry-level vacancy to fill: a position on the investment team.

In 2010 we will have two entry-level vacancies to fill: a position on the investment team and a position on the accounting team.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Good idea on "entry" = "entry-level."  <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>  Could it be idiomatic within the industry?

BillJ · Answer

Hello Uktous

The answer to your question is in the different meanings of the terms 'entry vacancy' and 'entry'.

'Entry vacancy' means the single vacancy available from the entry.

'Entry' means the entire intake which you would expect to consist of more than one vacancy, as is the case here.

Question 1: 'The 2009 entry vacancy (singular) we currently have is (singular) for a position (singular) .... ' = there is only one vacancy available of the 2009 intake.

If there was more than one vacancy, it would have said, ’‘The 2009 entry vacancies (plural)…..are (plural) for positions (plural)…'

Question 2: 'Our 2010 entry holds both (plural) investment and accounting vacancies' (plural) = there is more than one investment vacancy available and there is more than one accounting vacancy available.

If there was only one position available in each department, it would have said ''Our 2010 entry holds both an investment and an accounting vacancy'.

Hope that helps

Avangi · Answer

This is really getting interesting!<img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/15.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/15.gif' alt='Emotion: geeked'/>

Uktous · Answer

hi ,

the following contents are copied from another forum (very interesting)

they suggest that

vacancy should be treated as a collective noun
the logic for sentence 1 and 2 is correct
the logic for sentence 3 is wrong

part1

Vacancy should be treated as collective noun for your examples:

No matter how many openings (or subjects for the Graduate post), the vacant openings are called vacancy.

Similar situation for a hotel room reservation, you do not say there are vacancies (refer to rooms available), you only say there are vacancy even there more than one rooms available and say there is a vancancy if there is only one room left.

part2

Therefore, your sentence 1 and 2 are both OK but they are saying two different things -
1. The appplicant applied for the post in the Accounting category.
2. The applicant applied for the post in the Graduate "trainee?" category.

And for sentence 3, I think the writing is correct but the logic is wrong:
The word vacancies represent the plural of the accounting category and the computing category (two categories' vacancy = vacancies).

Generally speaking, English writing applies a simple rule for plural when ever two things are put together.

Accounting vacancy and Computing vacancy are two distinctive categories which cannot be mixed according to your sentence, thus it becomes Accounting and Computing vacancies.

part3

However, if your sentence refer the Graduate program has both Accounting and Computing posts, and you only reply to all the candidates, then your sensentce should be:

thank you for applying our 2010 Graduate Vacancy in Accounting and Computing.

or even

thank you for applying our 2010 Accounting and Computing vacancy.

Why singular ?

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