Chrysler “Thank You America” Blog Blows Up in Their Face

Chrysler “Thank You America” Blog Blows Up in Their Face
http://blog.chryslerllc.com/blog.do?id=564&p=entry

 

You must be ecstatic! (Shouldn't it be "its" face?)

 

"It" implies an inanimate object "their" encompasses the whole of
Chrysler. I am *not* pleased that my tax money is stolen for the
benefit of GM and Chrysler, Pete & Repeat that should have gone into
bankruptcy. They will go into bankruptcy as their market share drops
and more folks buy their cars from the other made in America
manufacturers-Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. Detroit only has itself to
blame-as anyone can read from the blog comments.

 

Well, "it" is a corporation.

I am *not* pleased that my tax money is stolen for the

Just to antagonize: http://www.autoextremist.com/

 

There's a lot of variation in whether a company is referred to in the
singular (taking it as a single entity), or in the plural (taking it
as all the people involved with it). Generally, and with many
exceptions, Americans will use the singular while the English use the
plural.

 

"Their" is OK on two counts:
(1) It is acceptable to use "their" in a singular context (one of many
sources: http://www.languagehat.com/archives/000421.php)
(2) Look up "collective noun" and "collective pronoun".

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/they.html

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Bill, I hear what you're saying, and have been through that lots of
times. The way I used to do it was to alternate...saying, for
instance, "Chrysler is.." and then in the next paragraph, "they..."
Drove most folks, and me, crazy.

I guess everyone is entitled to their (shudder) opinion.

 

See my answer to Bill. On the basis of your explanation, what would
that make Higgins?

 

Right or wrong, to my ears, to follow "Chrysler is..." with "they..."
sounds more natural/less awkward than to say "it...", referring to
Chrysler. Again, "they" and "their" can be used for singular (probably
through usage), though it seems "technically" wrong. It would also
sound weird to say "Chrysler are...". though that could technically be
correct. "The data is ready." - technically incorrect, but acceptable.
"The data are ready" - technically correct, but sounds weird in casual
speech.

So how come we say "that door is closed" (not "that door is close"), but
"that door is open" (not "that door is opened")? I think I know why,
but would be interested in your guess or answer.

 

I'm not familiar with "Higgins"...

 

My understanding is that "they" etc is ok if the noun acts as a 'collective'
noun. Therefore, "Chrysler are" is fine because it refers to a collection
of people. "The corporation is" is also ok because the corporation is a
single entity. The use of "it" does not have definite overtones of
'inanimatedness'. It just means no gender, so the corporation can have its
acccounts audited.

I think the key is to decide on one mode in a paragraph or article and stick
with it.

Where "they" for singular has crept in through usage -- at least in the
UK -- is the 'politically correct' way of dealing with a person of
undetermined gender. This is a way of avoiding "he" when it could be he or
she. In other languages this may be unnecessary since the word "person"
itself has gender. In German for example it is feminine. So in a German
sentence one would speak of a person who has money in her pocket, whether it
is a woman or a man.

OT...
DAS

To send an e-mail directly replace "spam" with "schmetterling"

 

Maybe Professor Higgins?

In 'Ertford (1), 'Ereford and 'Ampshire 'urricanes 'ardly hever 'appen.

(1) Pronounced as in 'Artford.

DAS

To send an e-mail directly replace "spam" with "schmetterling"

 

O-o-h-h - you mean Enry Iggins.

--
Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

errr...the OP, he who declared that the "Chrysler blog blew up in
their face"...or should that be "faces". 8)

 

Agree with all of the above, actually. It was my perverse side that
led me to mix 'em.

Bingo! It used to be that the singular pronoun "he" was the default
for the condition where the gender was indeterminate. Now, we have to
have the plural "their" because folks can't say "he" without guilt.

.....drives me nuts, but not as much as the talking heads on the news
programs on television who, when asked a question, begin with "I
mean...".

 

As Rush Limbaugh would say, the media is responsible for all
this. )

Huh? Maybe it only matters when the door is close to being
closed.........no....
....maybe it is an elliptical sentence with the words missing having to
do with the door's (note the possessive) being (subjunctive) in
a.....closed state....no..
.....that door has been closed...........what's yours?

Leave me alone, Bill. I don't have time for all this...I really only
want to read Jim 'iggins (' ) clippings....that's a full time job.

Besides, I have to go figure out which side is the bad wheel bearing.

 

You trying to draw me into this?

Ain't gonna work buddy...

 

Note brain fart....gerund.

 

Naw, Bill will know...his memory is lots better than mine.

 

LOL! Noise turning off or on when you turn to a particular side doesn't
mean anything. I used to adamantly argue that it did, but I've had to
change my thinking on that due to reality hitting me in the face over
the last couple of years.

Basically, on most cars they design (it designs?) the offset of the
factory wheels to put the plane of the center of pressure (pavement to
tread) in the center plane of the bearing, so it could go either way.
Only when those two planes are not close to congruent is there any
reason to expect to be able to tell which bearing is bad by which
direction you turn in to make the bearing louder.