[Grammar] They or it?
- Thread starter stonecold
- Start date
- Views : 10,837
- Status
crazYgeeK
Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2010
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Vietnamese
- Home Country
- Vietnam
- Current Location
- Vietnam
You must use "it", although "company" means a group of many people, but it is only one entity including many elements.
You can only use "they" to replace for "companies".
Thank you !
You can only use "they" to replace for "companies".
Thank you !
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2010
- Member Type
- Retired English Teacher
- Native Language
- British English
- Home Country
- England
- Current Location
- England
It depends on the context.
'Heinz is a very successful company. It paid its shareholders a bonus last year' (it's an impersonal entity).
'I going to complain to British Gas and find out why they overcharged me last year' (somebody working there sent the bill and one or more persons will answer my letter).
Rover
'Heinz is a very successful company. It paid its shareholders a bonus last year' (it's an impersonal entity).
'I going to complain to British Gas and find out why they overcharged me last year' (somebody working there sent the bill and one or more persons will answer my letter).
Rover
Nightmare85
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2009
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- German
- Home Country
- Germany
- Current Location
- Germany
**Neither a teacher nor a native speaker.**
I asked a similar question a while ago.
My opinion:
When you talk about a company, use the 3rd person singular.
Microsoft develops software. :up:
When you don't say the company's name, replace the word by they!
They develop software. :up:
I highly suggest you not to use this construction:
It develops software. :down:
Of course a company usually consists of people, but when you talk about the company itself, you summarize them, which makes it possible to handle it as a singular word.
But remember: Company name = Singular; No name = Plural -> They
Cheers!
I asked a similar question a while ago.
My opinion:
When you talk about a company, use the 3rd person singular.
Microsoft develops software. :up:
When you don't say the company's name, replace the word by they!
They develop software. :up:
I highly suggest you not to use this construction:
It develops software. :down:
Of course a company usually consists of people, but when you talk about the company itself, you summarize them, which makes it possible to handle it as a singular word.
But remember: Company name = Singular; No name = Plural -> They
Cheers!
- Status