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Mr.吴
When referring to a company (a firm), which is the best pronoun to be used: it or they?
Nov 20, 2008 6:14 AM
Answers · 3
Use "it" to refer to company itself, as a unit
use "they" to refer to people who work at the firm-
It´s the same case when you talk about a country: "it" refers to the nation as a unit; "they" refers to the people who live in that country-
November 21, 2008
It depends. There are many reasons to use either. One reason to use "they" is that the company is a collection of people working so it might sound better to make the company seem like one giant person doing or saying something. One reason to use "it" is that the company is also a system and has a function so it might sound better to to make the the company seem like a big business. So you must decide if you want to represent the company like a person or a thing?
Another thing to consider is that "it" feels a little less human than "they" and is slightly more negative sometimes.
It's complicated, but if you listen to a lot of talk about businesses then you will get used to it.
November 20, 2008
They are making a movie about the return of the seagulls.
It is making a movie about the return of the seagulls.
Which one sounds better? I like THEY
November 20, 2008
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Mr.吴
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Other), English
Learning Language
English
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