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Post by Ben Clarke on Aug 27, 2008 13:52:41 GMT
Hi
If our company (HF) decided to move buildings, should I write HF has moved.... Or, HF have moved....
They both sound OK to me and I'm jolly confused!
Many thanks
Ben
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Post by Dave on Aug 27, 2008 14:37:51 GMT
This may depend on how you view the (or a) company: singular or plural?
It seems that British use tends toward the plural (the BBC have ...) while American use is singular (Hewlett-Packard has ...), although I think that American journalistic style is changing more to the British style.
It also may have to do with considering the company as an entity or as the people within the entity.
Personally, I would say IBM has moved its operations ....
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Post by Verbivore on Aug 27, 2008 22:33:41 GMT
As would I, in Oz, as such seems to be our national style (and is my lifelong habit).
That said, there are occasions (rare) where I might use the plural from; e.g. if a committee was busy with infighting, I'd be inclined to say "The committee are arguing amongst themselves", because using the singular form in that instance would seem silly - a committee can't argue amongst itself - only its constituent members can do that. I'd probably recast such a sentence rather than use the form I've exampled.
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Post by Pete on Aug 27, 2008 23:12:48 GMT
I tend to prefer to refer to organisations in the singular although I then get into trouble with pronouns, as 'it' sounds terrible and 'they' feels much smoother.
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Post by Paul Doherty on Aug 27, 2008 23:24:17 GMT
Yes, like everyone else I prefer the singular unless it's plainly ridiculous.
- Microsoft has been very evasive on this.
- BT is sending someone round tomorrow.
- ITV does pay its CEO far too much.
- The government is very annoying.
If I feel the need to make it plural I usually put in an extra word or two:
- BT is coming round tomorrow sounds a bit odd to some -- "what, all of them?" -- so I might make it someone from BT is coming round tomorrow.
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Post by Pete on Aug 28, 2008 7:30:13 GMT
Yes, like everyone else I prefer the singular unless it's plainly ridiculous. - Microsoft has been very evasive on this. - BT is sending someone round tomorrow. - ITV does pay its CEO far too much. - The government is very annoying. If I feel the need to make it plural I usually put in an extra word or two: - BT is coming round tomorrow sounds a bit odd to some -- "what, all of them?" -- so I might make it someone from BT is coming round tomorrow. On a slightly different point, I would capitalise "Government". |
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Post by Alan Palmer on Aug 28, 2008 8:55:53 GMT
I wouldn't but that's a different topic.
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