US/UK English question

[mrmitchell]

Whenever I'm reading something about an organization, I've noticed something that happens about 100% of the time:

Whenever an American is writing about an organization, the organization's name is a singular noun.

"Microsoft has been a menace to America and everything that it stands for."

Everyone else who writes about a group uses their name as a plural noun.

"Microsoft have an ace up on the PlayStation 3 for some dumb reason I didn't finish reading."

Nearly always, an American is writing the first way, and an Englishman the second way.

Is this a US/UK English thing, or are Americans just dumb, or am I just dumb?

[KrazyHorse]

The proper expression depends on context. If you're speaking about the organisation as a single entity then it's "has". If you're talking about the organisation as a group of people then it's "have".

[SlowwHand]

Microsoft is a company. Singular.

[Dr. Nick]

And might I add, the British never write about organizations.

[mrmitchell]

Okay. I've always used singular anyways, and Microsot was just an example. But I just notice all thse British guys running around talking about how a soccer club have won a match or such.

I could see how a soccer club could be referred to as a group of people, but the "Microsoft have" example comes straight out of the other thread with Asher and Black Cat.

[reds4ever]

'Have', but I am a Brit!

[SlowwHand]

Brits can't speak English. You know that.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Stop the presses - Americans and British people speak differently.

[Mao]

Hmmm...the sports thing is true in American English too...people say, "the Red Sox have won!" or "the Yankees have won!" but that may be a function of the team's name being a plural, despite it technically referring to a singular entity as the team.

[Dinner]

I forgot who said it but it is so true. The US & UK are two people devided by a coomon language.

[Urban Ranger]

It's organisation. Get it straight

[SlowwHand]

Yee knaa Texas rules, reet ?

[Sava]

Dennis Farina put it best in the movie "Snatch":

"Speak english to me, Tony. I thought this country (England) spawned the ****ing language and so far, nobody seems to speak it."

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Oerdin
The US & UK are two people devided by a coomon language.

[duke o' york]

I totally disagree. For example, here Sloww shows perfect grasp of basic geordie (apart from the Texas bit):

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Yee knaa Texas rules, reet ?

The organisation thing is because of company law. A limited enterprise is a unique entity, separated from its shareholders. So if a company screws you over, then you can only sue the company. You can't decide that your injury was worth hell of a lot more than that and then go on to sue all the shareholders too. Their liability for company debts only goes as far as the value of the shares they hold in that company, so they shouldn't lose their house if the company goes under.