English translation: collective noun - both versions are correct
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13:48 Nov 13, 2004
English to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Linguistics / grammar
English term or phrase:manufacture(s)
"Our company manufactures furniture"
or
"Our company manufacture furniture"
I suppose the right one is the second, as I read the sentence as "We manufacture furniture". But some people read the sentence as "the company manufactures furniture".
Explanation: ... though I'd always say "our company is" (and it's probably the version that's used more frequently).
"Company" is a collective noun, i.e. a noun that denotes a collection of persons or things regarded as a unit.
*****Usage Note: In American usage, a collective noun takes a singular verb when it refers to the collection considered as a whole, as in:
The family was united on this question.
The enemy is suing for peace.
It takes a plural verb when it refers to the members of the group considered as individuals, as in:
My family are always fighting among themselves.
The enemy were showing up in groups of three or four to turn in their weapons.
****In British usage, however, collective nouns are more often treated as plurals:
The government have not announced a new policy.
The team are playing in the test matches next week.
A collective noun should not be treated as both singular and plural in the same construction; thus:
The family is determined to press its (not their) claim.
*****Among the common collective nouns are:
committee
clergy
+++company
enemy
group
family
flock
public
team
Swan (Practical English Usage, New Edition, Oxford University Press, 1997) elaborates on this singular/plural usage, and disagrees about treating collective nouns as both singular and plural in the same construction:
"In British English, singular words like family, team, government, which refer to groups of people, can be used with either singular or plural verbs and pronouns.
This team is/are going to lose.
Plural forms are common when the group is considered as a collection of people doing personal things like deciding, hoping or wanting; and in these cases we use who, not which, as a relative pronoun. Singular forms (with which as a relative pronoun) are more common when the group is seen as an impersonal unit. Compare:
My family have decided to move to Nottingham. They think it's a better place to live.
The average British family has 3.6 members. It is smaller and richer than 50 years ago.
The government, who are hoping to ease export restrictions soon, …
The government, which is elected by a simple majority, …
*******My firm are wonderful. They do all they can for me.
*******My firm was founded in the 18th century.
When a group noun is used with a singular determiner (e.g. a/an, each, every, this, that), singular verbs and pronouns are normal. Compare:
The team are full of enthusiasm.
A team which is full of enthusiasm has a better chance of winning.
Sometimes singular and plural forms are mixed:
The group gave its first concert in June and they are already booked up for the next six months.
Examples of group nouns which can be used with both singular and plural verbs in British English:
bank
the BBC
choir
class
club
committee
England (e.g. the football team)
family
firm
government
jury
ministry
orchestra
party
public
school
staff
team
union
In American English singular verbs are normally used with most of these nouns in all cases (though family can have a plural verb). Plural pronouns can be used:
The team is in Detroit this weekend. They have a good chance of winning."
pp. 526-527
Our company manufactures furniture, and we are the best in the field!
14:51 Nov 13, 2004
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
3 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +13
Our company manufactures furniture
Explanation: company is singular. If you actually use "we", then manufactures, but as long as the subject of the sentence is "our company", the verb has to agree with it, in the singular.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 3 mins (2004-11-13 13:52:11 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
oops, I meant If you actually use \"we\", then manufacture is fine...
Marian Greenfield Local time: 01:56 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 39
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +13
