is/are

is/are

  • Panasonic is going

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Panasonic are going

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
S

Shaw

Veteran
Hey everyone :)

If you will be kind enough to indulge me, I've noticed while browsing this, and other fora, that there seems to be some variation on the use of copula form (the verb "to be") with regard to names such as Panasonic, Sony etc. Now I'm sure this doesn't matter to anyone besides myself but I am curious about the reason for the difference. So... I'd like to start a poll.

Do you say "Panasonic is going" OR
Do you say "Panasonic are going" ?

Along with this:

What is your native language?
# of years of education in English (both native and non-native if you don't mind)

I'm just curious if there is a specific trend responsible for the difference. Just the linguist in me I suppose. I'm hoping there will be a response. Given the topic I won't be surprised to see this thread fail miserably at its aims though.
 
I work at a newspaper and am quite familiar with proper AP style. The correct usage: "is" not "are." Panasonic and other companies are considered individual entities and as such are treated as singular. Correct: Panasonic is a company. Incorrect: Panasonic are a company. There may be cases in which "are" would be preferable, but this is not one of them.
 
What the hell kind of poll is this?

Native Language

- American English


Education

- 12 years + college
- 2 years of Spanish Classes (Si Habla Espanol)


Experience

- Over 10 years experience being a Cunning Linguist



What the hell is this? A Job Interview?

~reservoir~
 
In the King’s English, a group would necessitate “are.” “Led Zeppelin are coming to town.” In American English, the proper word is “is.” “Led Zeppelin is playing at the old folks’ home.”

The KE form was in style here, antebellum. Prior to the Civil War, for example, you’d most often see people writing “The United States ARE . . . “ After than, group words became singular.

So I guess the question is, for you loyal Crown subjects, is “Panasonic” considered singular or plural?

Of course, the question is (and I see people who should know better get this wrong all the time), what’s proper? “ ‘The Simpsons’ are next” or “ ‘The Simpsons’ is next”?
 
Yeah, I'm familiar with the "correct" form as well. I'm just curious which group of users is using the plural form and why. Sounds like it may be the Brits from what I'm hearing? Interesting stuff.

What the hell is this? A Job Interview?
Click to expand...

Haha! No :D. It's just my attempt at being thorough. You can't effectively analyze why someone says something if you know nothing about them! So far no votes for "are" even though I hear it all the time.
 
Back to the original question -- yes, the Brits say "are". At Westwood we used to recruit programmers from the UK, and when they arrived they all spoke most curiously, and primarily they'd say "Well, Westwood have come up with a new game" or something like that. Took some getting used to.

Also, there's all the unique words that they used, that don't exist in American "english." Eventually I learned that they all mean the same thing: "crap". A game review in a British magazine said "here's another naff level in this cack game." So I had to ask: "What's 'naff'?" And they said "oh, that means it's crap." So I said "okay, what's "cack" then? And they said "oh, that also means crap." I had to ask: Why do you have so many words that mean "crap"? The answer was "Because there are a lot of crap things in England."
 
I are not sure but is looking it up...But wait, I is singular...with woman but without contract. I are still not sure.
 
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