Jan
26
26
An email we never sent…
For those interested in such things, our new undisclosed occupation requires us to interact with our employer’s customers, which means that we sometimes get emails like this:
I just want to say that your company suck.
Sadly, being required to be somewhat polite prevents us from replying with gems such as:
So do your English.
Luckily, there is Sadly, No!
alan said,
January 27, 2005 at 0:19
Being party to the heretofore undisclosed occupation, I can assure everyone that the company do, indeed, suck.
Their customer service, on the other hand, is first rate!
moioci said,
January 27, 2005 at 0:23
Don’t Brits view companies, organizations, and governments as plural entities? Could this individual be correct within the framework of his/her culture? Just asking.
TheaLogie said,
January 27, 2005 at 0:53
“Don’t Brits view companies, organizations, and governments as plural entities?”
Speaking as a Limey:
sadly, no.
mdhatter said,
January 27, 2005 at 1:24
are you sure he didn’t mean -present company-?
Phoenician in a time of Romans said,
January 27, 2005 at 6:23
Mmm. I work in one of the largest libraries in my country, specialising in history and archives of the nation and the region. So I’m at the front of the library, and someone comes in and politely asks me “Do you think the library will have anything on [the famous second European discoverer who mapped out the country's coastlines and named just about everything]?”
I look at him, waited two beats and said “Well, it’s possible.” And then we both burst out laughing.
moioci said,
January 29, 2005 at 2:33
I misstated my question.
Don’t Brits sometimes use plural verb forms with nouns like government, corporation, and organization?
Some random examples:
Sinn F?in were warned today … (Guardian 1/28/05)
…and the Government have given repeated assurances…(http://www.dca.gov.uk/pubs/reports/prerogative.htm)
The Corporation have asked panel members formally to confirm …(http://www.housingcorplibrary.org.uk/housingcorp.nsf/AllDocuments/F6A4BAF56E77241D80256BA3003D4A42)