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What is the correct verb form to use here?

I recommend that Company X adopt Y.

or

I recommend that Company X adopts Y.

Mari-Lou A
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Duncan
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1 Answers1

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Recommend takes Subjunctive, so the verb is in the infinitve: I recommend that Company X adopt Y. http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000031.htm He recommended that each driver report his tips.

Cathy Gartaganis
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  • This somewhat differs from BrEng to AmEng, where the former usually prefers a modal verb, especially 'should', whilst the latter prefers to use the infinitive. I myself would use both, depending on circumstance. – JDF Apr 05 '16 at 06:56
  • @Deonyi are you suggesting that BrEngs would prefer 'I recommend that Company X should adopt Y'? – 568ml Apr 05 '16 at 07:23
  • @568ml Yes, I would personally use the infinitive for 'recommend', but use 'should adopt' for 'suggest'. Again, BrEng to my knowledge uses both, but uses the subjunctive less often. – JDF Apr 05 '16 at 10:48
  • @Deonyi The report recommends that tourists avoid the region. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/essential-british-english/recommend – Cathy Gartaganis Apr 12 '16 at 07:10
  • @Cathy Gartaganis Perhaps I wasn't clear. Whilst the subjunctive should be used in that situation, informally, usually the indicative would be used instead in BrEng. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/when-to-use-the-subjunctive – JDF Apr 12 '16 at 07:48
  • @Deonyi Of course. I assumed the question pertained to business English because of the content, and therefore provided the formal grammatical construction. – Cathy Gartaganis Apr 12 '16 at 07:59