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Thread: Urgent: go or goes?

  1. #1
    Joe333 is offline Member
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    Default Urgent: go or goes?

    Sentence: What will happen if American Airlines go/goes bankrupt?
    Question: What will come in the sentence "go" or "goes" and why?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Mohammadhelmi is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: Urgent: go or goes?

    Sentence: What will happen if American Airlines go/goes bankrupt?

    The correct answer is go.
    Because the verb must agree with its antecedent in number. In other words, the subject of your sentence is plural and needs verb without (s).



  3. #3
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    bhaisahab is offline Moderator
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    Default Re: Urgent: go or goes?

    If "American Airlines" is the name of a company, "goes" is correct.
    Last edited by bhaisahab; 08-Oct-2011 at 20:50.

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    Joe333 is offline Member
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    Default Re: Urgent: go or goes?

    Quote Originally Posted by bhaisahab View Post
    If "American Airlines" is the name of a company, "go" is correct.
    Thanks Bhaisahab and Mohammadhelmi for helping me. In another English forum one person, who has been recognized as ''proficient English speaker'' from that forum, told me this "it's a single company. I'd say "goes" 100% of the time." You agree with his/her logic? It is confusing.

    Link to that forum Urgent: go or goes?

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    Default Re: Urgent: go or goes?

    Quote Originally Posted by razer View Post
    Thanks Bhaisahab and Mohammadhelmi for helping me. In another English forum one person, who has been recognized as ''proficient English speaker'' from that forum, told me this "it's a single company. I'd say "goes" 100% of the time." You agree with his/her logic? It is confusing.

    Link to that forum Urgent: go or goes?
    I can't apologise enough, razer, I meant to write "goes".

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Urgent: go or goes?

    Quote Originally Posted by bhaisahab View Post
    I can't apologise enough, razer, I meant to write "goes".
    Ok. No problem . Typo happens . Important thing is my doubt is now clear . But do you see a possibility of "go" being correct in American English? Or goes 'must' be used there?

    Thanks

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Urgent: go or goes?

    In British English, collective nouns are can be used with a singular or plural verb:

    1. The government have/has announced a new plan ...
    2. Portsmouth (the football team) are/is in financial trouble again.
    3. American Airlines are/is going ....
    4. Lufthansa have/has decided to
    ...

    In American English, the singular verb is preferred. I am not sure what the Americans would do with #3. I imagine they'd go for the singular, as 'American Airlines' is the (singular) name of the company.

    Both BrE and AmE would use the plural if 'American airlines' referred to airlines which were American: Some American airlines are going ...
    Barb_D, Tdol, bhaisahab and 2 others like this.

  8. #8
    SoothingDave is offline VIP Member
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    Default Re: Urgent: go or goes?

    I am not sure what the Americans would do with #3. I imagine they'd go for the singular, as 'American Airlines' is the (singular) name of the company.
    That is correct. "American Airlines has the best business class seats to Brazil."
    5jj likes this.

  9. #9
    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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    Default Re: Urgent: go or goes?

    Quote Originally Posted by SoothingDave View Post
    That is correct. "American Airlines has the best business class seats to Brazil."
    In BrE, we could use has or have.

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