A Company Is an “It,” Not a “They”

Dear Legal Writer, A company is an “it,” not a “they.”

Do you question what I say?

Let’s do a little play—

1/ Recall the concept, “collective noun.”

A “company” is one.

Others are are:
—department
—business
—group
—entity
—Congress
—organization

2/ A collective noun takes a SINGULAR verb.

“The company is.” ✔️
“The company are.” 🚫

3/ A collective noun takes a SINGULAR pronoun.

“The company is famous for its dark chocolate.” ✔️
“The company is famous for their dark chocolate.” 🚫

***
Please make a mental note today!

💌 Amanda

P.S. In British English—and maybe elsewhere—singular words like “company” and “team” can correctly be paired with “they.”

Don’t let such international norms trip you up.

In the US legal writing today, no company is a “they.”

(At least not as of today. 🙂)