Is or Are for a business

[Urban Publications]

HI

Quick question

When writing your company name is it "is" or "are"

eg:-

My Company Name is giving away free widgets
My Company Name are giving away free widgets

I prefer "are" but the Company is singular so really should be "is"

Does it really matter, I have had a few people test a website and the question has come up a couple of times

 

[ethical PR]

It doesn't really matter what you prefer what's grammatically correct is.... It is.

A company or organisation is a single entity.

 

[MikeJ]

Generally agree. I'd probably use an exception when the name is a plural,

British Airways are.....

Grammatically wrong, but it's awkward to use "is" in that case.

 

[BRIDGREGORY]

I think that with the state of grammar used in social media and many marketing materials this question is of little importance.

You should be proud that you are aware of the problem, many wouldn't be.

Personally I'm with those above "are" is wrong but has a better ring to it.

Another problem I have is when talking about your reader who is unknown to you. At one time they would have been refered to as "he" but now I find that everything refers to him as her ( sorry about that).

An example " the average small business person collects her mail before 10.00 am".

Appologies I'm rambling a bit.

 

[The Byre]

It is ALWAYS singular!!!

Urban Publications is launching a new magazine.

Urban Publications looks to the Internet for growth.

Urban Publications uses InDesign and Photoshop.

 

[KM-Tiger]

It is ALWAYS singular!!!

Grammatically yes, but in common usage, I'm not so sure:

UKBF are offering free membership for posts about grammar

Tesco are offering extra points for sausage rolls

Vodafone are offering a free one month trial

None of those grate on the ear ...

 

[The Byre]

None of those grate on the ear ...

They do on mine!

Having worked in publishing, anybody signing off pages with a howler like that in them, would find themselves in my office, discussing their basic standard of education and possibly their future career!

 

[talkinpeace]

It kind of depends on the context

A company doing something is singular
A business that has lots of outlets is plural

eg Tesco is announcing its quarterly results
or Sainsbury's are launching a promotion in all of their stores

but singular is definitely better

 

[IanG]

Singular company is singular.

Even worse are sold traders who describe themselves as 'we'.

 

[Mitch3473]

It's "sole"

 

[IanG]

Haha can you tell I was typing that in a rage.

 

[madams_ba]

If youwant tosell more always Talk the same language your customers/target market talks.

 

[japancool]

Depends whether you see a company as a single entity or as a conglomeration of its employees, I suppose.

 

[CorrectContent]

I agree with the premise, Matt, but the way we talk and the way we write can be very different. Talking colloquially is acceptable and often preferred, but the written word lasts longer and outlives traits and personalities, so a more formal tone is always advised in written interactions.

 

[beasty]

If you are writing as in the COMPANY IS GIVING AWAY it is singular, if you are writing from the angle of representing the management of the company then it can be plural.

COCA COLA is giving away free coke all this week
We are giving away free coca cola all this week

The company is always going to be singular, if you are presenting from the management then you can use plural and should

 

[Clinton]

If youwant tosell more always Talk the same language your customers/target market talks.

OMG, that is like the best advice ever, dude. If your selling trainers to skool dropouts them baitches wud luv if you was to speak to them lot like they diss each other.

 

[Thermodynamic Man]

I don't care hows you writes it man..... I is just gonna get me some of that free Coke innit... ya get me?

 

[roydmoorian]

It kind of depends on the context
Sainsbury's are launching a promotion in all of their stores

http://www.dreaded-apostrophe.com/

Oh dear - advice on grammar with an erroneous apostrophe

But is it really a problem for other than a good old fashioned pedant ?

 

[Ashley_Price]

If youwant tosell more always Talk the same language your customers/target market talks.

Yes and no. Would you really expect a bank manager, accountant, solicitor, etc., to speak in the same language as the mechanic, builder, plumber, etc.? You expect these people to sound professional.

It very much depends on your business, however. I mean if you're a copywriter but you're failing at basic grammar in your promotional material, then it will reflect badly on your business.

 

[Ashley_Price]

I sell office supplies, and many of our customers email us with their "stationary order". Of course, if I was to spell it like that I'd have people saying "If you sell the stuff, can't you at least spell it correctly?"

I think it would show a worrying level of unprofessionalism, and lack of care, if I was to spell stationery with an "a". Just because my customers spell it incorrectly doesn't mean I should.

 

[roydmoorian]

Arthur Scargill was a master at addressing his audience in a language that it understood - Be it at a Miner's Welfare Rally or in The Houses of Parliament.

Didn't actually do him much good though.

I sell office supplies, and many of our customers email us with their "stationary order".

Maybe OK for the slow moving items.

 

[john1989]

It seems that all those employees that The Byre had to sack all landed on their feet at the Daily Mail.

 

[The Byre]

It seems that all those employees that The Byre had to sack all landed on their feet at the Daily Mail.

I never sacked anybody for bad grammar!

My favourite rag was the News of the World. There was a really funky feeling to the place and to the people who worked there. There was a real "And which lying, cheating, coke-snorting, self-important hypocrite do we bring down this week?" attitude and it was a sad day when it was closed.

I mostly worked in trade mags, until the trade-mag-bubble burst in 2000. I sold up and got the duck out of fodge in 1999!

 

[talkinpeace]

http://www.dreaded-apostrophe.com/

Oh dear - advice on grammar with an erroneous apostrophe

But is it really a problem for other than a good old fashioned pedant ?

Which erroneous apostrophe?
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/ ..... check your facts

 

[roydmoorian]

Which erroneous apostrophe?
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/ ..... check your facts

My bad... forgot about possessive nouns