Group nouns - plural or singular?

Question

I just completed Carlos' practice with direct and indirect pronouns, week 1

One of my responses was:

We took the coat to the cleaners

Les llevamos el abrigo a la lavandería.

Se lo llevamos.

Can that be "les llevamos" or does it have to be "le llevamos". In other words, can "la lavandería, being a group noun, be considered plural? British English does that but American English does not. I'm not sure about whether Spanish does it or not.

Here is an example.

British English: Microsoft are releasing a new product.

American English: Microsoft is releasing a new product.

So, in Spanish, can I say "Les llevamos a la lavandería" or does it have to be "Le llevamos..."?

• I think you´re only taking the coat to one cleaner´s (shop) so it has to be singular. Interesting discusion. - caza Jun 7, 2010

Answer 1

...can "la lavandería, being a group noun, be considered plural?

I don't believe it can be considered plural.

However, I'm from the U.S. and I would say that a company name is also singular and not plural (as in your Microsoft example).

• I'm with you you, Marianne, unless there are two Microsofts, how can one be plural? - LateToDinner Jun 7, 2010
• I was surprised when I began working with a global company and my British colleagues used group nouns as plural. I'd been taught they are singular, but that is just in the US, apparently. - LeslieW Jun 7, 2010

Answer 2

In British English you can say

Microsoft are ........

or

Microsoft is ...

It depends if you are thinking of Microsoft as a single entity or as a group of people.

With with regard to "the cleaners" - this is a contraction of "the cleaner's shop (but the " ' " dropped. It is not plural.

• Really and truely? You can use the corporation as a plural? Can you say "The United Kingdom are ..."? - LateToDinner Jun 7, 2010
• Okay but forget the word "the cleaners". How about "the laundry". Can it be considered plural, as it can in British English? - LeslieW Jun 7, 2010
• No, it is "la" lavandería; not "las" lavandería, so any object pronoun must be singular. - qfreed Jun 7, 2010
• The The United Kingdom IS - but you do not use the definite article for Microsoft. (the Microsoft) - ian-hill Jun 7, 2010

Answer 3

Se = we (in place of "les" because you can't have "les lo")

lo = it (the coat)

llevamos = we took

"la lavandería" isn't present in the shortened version. It just says "We took it."

can I say "Les llevamos a la lavandería"

No because you're missing the direct object ...the coat (lo).

• Okay I understand that I messed up the shortened version but my question is can I say "les" when referring to "la lavendería". In other words, my question is about whether the laundry can be considered plural, as in British English, or if it is singluar - LeslieW Jun 7, 2010