gramm'r

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Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
okay. this has been bugging me. many people seem to think that apple is several companies. they refer to it in plural (Ex: Apple have a new computer). Apple (when referring to the fruit, or computer company, or record company for that matter) is singular. If one is referring to a bunch of appleS, then its plural. Apple Computers, inc. IS a single company. So, instead of a weird sentence like "Apple have a new computer", properly write: "Apple has a new computer".



hax th' planit.
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  • Reply 1 of 29
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,464member
    We've gone over this before on these boards. In the UK it's acceptable to format sentences in this manner. What is perceived wrong in the US is not always wrong elsewhere.
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  • Reply 2 of 29
    surfratsurfrat Posts: 341member
    Yes, well if Apple were a UK company...



    Seeing as how Apple is located in the US, I think singular form would suffice fine.



    And also, it is quite annoying to read a sentence that is so poorly constructed. I would guess most of us on these boards are from The US, so lets try to keep our language consistent. <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
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  • Reply 3 of 29
    mrbilldatamrbilldata Posts: 489member
    If American Multi-Million Dollar Athletes and Movie stars can get away with using words like Baphroom and speak in broken sentences, I think we Americans should equally allow persons of unknown origin the benefit of doubt and not complain.



    Lady and Gentlemen... start your computers.



    I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
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  • Reply 4 of 29
    tristantristan Posts: 79member
    whinny babies!! go outside and get some sun.
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  • Reply 5 of 29
    bellebelle Posts: 1,574member
    [quote]Originally posted by thuh Freak:

    If one is referring to a bunch of appleS, then its plural.<hr></blockquote>

    It's "it's". Not "its". It's a contraction of "it is", and therefore requires an apostrophe.

    [quote]Apple Computers, inc. IS a single company.<hr></blockquote>

    It's "Apple Computer, Inc.", the "Computer" is singular.

    [quote]So, instead of a weird sentence like "Apple have a new computer", properly write: "Apple has a new computer".<hr></blockquote>

    Uh, "properly write"?!



    If you're going to be a grammar Nazi, may as well go the whole way...



    [Edit: Oh, and it's "caterpillar".]



    [ 05-31-2002: Message edited by: Belle ]</p>
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  • Reply 6 of 29
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member




    Typical American arrogance.



    'nuf said.
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  • Reply 7 of 29
    thuh freakthuh freak Posts: 2,664member
    i thnk sum of u myss'd thuh poignt.
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  • Reply 8 of 29
    surfratsurfrat Posts: 341member
    [quote]Originally posted by starfleetX:

    <strong>



    Typical American arrogance.



    'nuf said.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Typical non-American ignorance.

    'nuf said



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  • Reply 9 of 29
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    [quote]Originally posted by Belle:

    <strong>

    Uh, "properly write"?!



    If you're going to be a grammar Nazi, may as well go the whole way...



    [Edit: Oh, and it's "caterpillar".]



    [ 05-31-2002: Message edited by: Belle ]</strong><hr></blockquote>

    Belle, you are wonderful

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  • Reply 10 of 29
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    [quote]Originally posted by SurfRat:

    <strong>Typical non-American ignorance.

    'nuf said</strong><hr></blockquote>I think you missed the point.



    Look at the "From" spot on the left. NC, USA.

    I am an American, born and raised here in North Carolina. You see, I... ah, hell, forget it.



    [ 05-31-2002: Message edited by: starfleetX ]</p>
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  • Reply 11 of 29
    tristantristan Posts: 79member
    [quote]Originally posted by tristan:

    <strong>whinny babies!! go outside and get some sun. </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Typical southern anger



    ....note.....to myself! <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
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  • Reply 12 of 29
    surfratsurfrat Posts: 341member
    [quote]Originally posted by starfleetX:

    <strong>I think you missed the point.



    Look at the "From" spot on the left. NC, USA.

    I am an American, born and raised here in North Carolina. You see, I... ah, hell, forget it.



    [ 05-31-2002: Message edited by: starfleetX ]</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Typical American Laziness. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
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  • Reply 13 of 29
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    [quote]Originally posted by SurfRat:

    <strong>Typical American Laziness.</strong><hr></blockquote>

    Damn straight!
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  • Reply 14 of 29
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Well, I'll just say the American way makes more sense, weird examples excepted.



    Manchester United are the best? No, Manchester United is the best! What is the best place in the world? Manchester is the best!



    Now replace 'Manchester' with 'People,' which plural. People united are the best!



    It just depends one what people define as plural. In the US, Apple is defined as a company, a single entitle composed of many people. I guess in England, the people make up the company.



    Sooo...what if the company was made up of one person? It makes more sense to ignore the headcount and refer to the business as the body.
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  • Reply 15 of 29
    kukukuku Posts: 254member
    To write a few proper paragraphs that will comunicated to some unknown amount of people, with unknown amount of opinions, and unknown amount of security for stealing your work.



    Why bother?



    Just like we don't write down, spell and grammar check, practice infront of a mirror, just to tell a stranger how to get to the train station, We can get away with sub standard writings.



    And anyway, we have international english, american english, british english, spanglish, japanese english, you named it, it's there. The more widely used something is, the more compicated it gets.



    ~Kuku
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  • Reply 16 of 29
    [quote]Originally posted by Kuku:

    <strong>To write a few proper paragraphs that will comunicated to some unknown amount of people, with unknown amount of opinions, and unknown amount of security for stealing your work.</strong><hr></blockquote> Unknown "number" of people, of opinions...



    This type of thread always ends up in a flame war. Grrreat . . .



    - T.I.
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  • Reply 17 of 29
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,464member
    BTW it's Apple. No longer do they go by the name Apple Computer Inc.
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  • Reply 18 of 29
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    [quote]Originally posted by hmurchison:

    <strong>We've gone over this before on these boards. In the UK it's acceptable to format sentences in this manner. What is perceived wrong in the US is not always wrong elsewhere.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    In the US, it is also "acceptable" to write a sentence this way: "The poster was proven wrong by SJPSU." However, since it is written in passive voice, the sentence is sub-standard. Get my point? Well my real question is whether or not it is sub-standard to refer to a company as a plural entity.
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  • Reply 19 of 29
    bellebelle Posts: 1,574member
    [quote]Originally posted by hmurchison:

    <strong>BTW it's Apple. No longer do they go by the name Apple Computer Inc.</strong><hr></blockquote>

    Someone had better tell Apple's employees! Look at the very last line of text at <a href="http://www.apple.com"; target="_blank">apple.com</a>, and the copyright notice at the bottom of the latest <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2002/may/29firewireTA.html"; target="_blank">press release</a>.



    The company often refers to itself as Apple (a registered trademark), but the company is still called "Apple Computer, Inc.".



    [ 06-02-2002: Message edited by: Belle ]</p>
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  • Reply 20 of 29
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    Apple and Manchester United are (no ambiguity there ) considered collective nouns, so they can go either way. To me, it a matter of connotation: is Apple a singluar identity or is it a collection if individuals?



    This isn't grammar, but it is my personal favorite mistake using the English language here is when people say "loose" (the antonym of tight) to mean "lose" (the antonym of find).
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