[company name] has bought OR [company name] have bought...Which is correct?

English translation: If the text is intended for a British market, use "have"; if the market is American, use "has".

08:02 May 24, 2002

English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]

English term or phrase: [company name] has bought OR [company name] have bought...Which is correct?

A colleague and I disagree on the use of `has´ vs `have´ in this sentence. Which option is correct?

anon

Selected answer:If the text is intended for a British market, use "have"; if the market is American, use "has".

Explanation:
In American usage, a company name is thought to refer to a singular entity, and therefore needs the singular form of the verb (has); in British usage, the name of a company is generally taken to be a collective noun and therefore takes the plural form of the verb (have).

Selected response from:

cathell

Grading comment

A clear and simpel answer. You deserve my credits.

Yours, sincerly

anon
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +21

3 rd person singular - has bought

Olga Simon

4 +4

US vs. UK usage

Victoria Barkoff

5 +1

If the text is intended for a British market, use "have"; if the market is American, use "has".

cathell

Answers

1 min confidence:

peer agreement (net): +21

3 rd person singular - has bought

Explanation:
O.S.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-24 08:06:13 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

When it comes to a company what I ahve seen was that the 3rd person singular is always used.

E.g.: CNN says
British Ariways flies
Lufthansa has slashed 2000 jobs recently etc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-24 08:07:20 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry for the typo - what I HAve seen, of course!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-24 08:09:15 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here is an example for you from Internet:

Australian IT - Baltimore\'s local arm sold (Caitlin Fitzsimmons, ...
... local arm sold Caitlin Fitzsimmons MAY 03, 2002. AN Australian company has bought
the local operations of global security giant Baltimore Technologies for $5.7 ...

www.australianit.com.au/articles/ 0,7204,4248582%5E15316%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-24 18:14:15 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In my comment to cathell please read UK rather than US.

Olga Simon
Hungary
Local time: 19:27
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in pair: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Alison Schwitzgebel: precisely

1 min

-> Thank you

agree

Indojin: exactly.... singular should be used. - "has" is correct.

8 mins

agree

VERTERE

13 mins

agree

Andy Watkinson: Singular

16 mins

agree

Mary Worby: Always singular, even if the company name is plural! (-:

20 mins

-> Exactly. That is why I brought the "British Airways" example. Thank you.

agree

Barbara Østergaard: probably one of you consider it to be a collective noun (though I would also use the singular)

21 mins

agree

Antonella M (X)

47 mins

agree

Ana Hermida

48 mins

-> Thank you eveybody!

agree

jerrie

1 hr

agree

Attila Piróth

1 hr

-> Koszi, Attila

agree

Chris Rowson (X): Yes, this is what is correct, although "British Airways have", and even "Lloyds Bank have" are often heard, and sometimes written. But you are asking what is correct.

1 hr

agree

Yoshiro Shibasaki, PhD

1 hr

agree

Lydia Molea

1 hr

agree

Сергей Лузан

1 hr

-> Ñïàñèáî, Ñåðãåé

neutral

John Kinory (X): You are right in part. The company HAS, yes; but in BE, British Airways flies OR FLY to Japan. But other names, e.g. Lloyds Bank, can be either.

2 hrs

agree

Piotr Kurek

4 hrs

disagree

cathell: Depends on British or American usage

5 hrs

-> There are a few US peers giving their votes here (see below), they seem to think "has" is correct..

agree

BBW,linguist (X)

5 hrs

agree

Elena-Mirona Ciocirlie: Agree with Chris Rowson.

6 hrs

-> Thank you, everybody.

agree

Arthur Borges: (US vote)

7 hrs

-> Appreciate your opinion!

agree

athena22: US usage: singular always.

8 hrs

-> Thanks a lot.

agree

AhmedAMS

8 hrs

agree

yolanda Speece: Has because it may be many people but it is ONE company. I totally agree.

9 hrs

agree

Sue Crocker

1 day 7 hrs

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

US vs. UK usage

Explanation:
The usage may differ between Britain and North America:

"Use of a plural verb after a singular noun denoting a group of persons (known as a noun of multitude) is commoner in the U.K. than in the U.S. "

Examples:

US
"All company names are singular. A company is a "legal entity , an artificial legal being." It is singular, not plural. This applies even if the name itself seems to be plural. (refer to the Wall street Journal and observe its reference to companies in the singular.)
http://www.mgt.smsu.edu/SyllabiPDF-F01/abrahamCommonErrors.P...

England
BBC (British Broadcasting )
"As part of the Director - General's pioneering Project Hull initiative, the BBC are launching a full local television news service."
www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/e54798.shtml

Manchester Guardian site:
"he BBC are undoubtably the best in the world at creating period dramas"
www.anu.edu.au/nceph/Tor/saffron.html

"... If the BBC are serious about trying to secure the rights to show ..."
sport.guardian.co.uk/columnists/theobserver/ story/0,10541,668760,00.html

The Motley fool UK
Banking is a very competitive business...Lloyds are the past masters of cost-cutting and cost control, and today's figures are no exception.
http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:LooUTYIU6FwC:uk.biz.yah...

LLOYDS BANK EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Lloyds have added schools and colleges in areas of high ethnic mix to their schools' liaison and university recruitment schedules.

Lloyds are often asked by ethnic minority students to consider them ...

http://www.merseyworld.com/bitc/race/lloyds.html

Victoria Barkoff
Local time: 13:27
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 8

5 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

If the text is intended for a British market, use "have"; if the market is American, use "has".

cathell

Grading comment

A clear and simpel answer. You deserve my credits.

Yours, sincerly

anon

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[company name] has bought OR [company name] have bought...Which is correct?

English translation: If the text is intended for a British market, use "have"; if the market is American, use "has".

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[company name] has bought OR [company name] have bought...Which is correct?

English translation: If the text is intended for a British market, use "have"; if the market is American, use "has".

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