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We would also, and often do, say "Australia need another 200" runs.
In this case "Australia " and "England" are collective nouns, and are therefore plural.
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There's a definite difference, though, between the way that English and Aussie commentators phrase it. I'll frequently hear the "Team A needs Z runs" construct from Aussies but English commentators always say "need".
98.4% of statistics are made up on the spot.
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But surely, as we invented the language, we must be right.
I keep telling my granddaughters, who live in Melbourne, not to start talking like the Aussies, but to be true to their heritage. It doesn't seem to have worked though.
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On the whole, I'm a firm advocate of speaking English as she is spoke by the English, but I do think that the Aussies have a technical point on this one. "Australia" in this contact collectively refers to a collective group of ball-tamperers and should really be 3rd person singular rather than plural.
On the other hand, I think that "The Beatles was fab" would sound rather ridiculous, so maybe the use of the plural should be seen as a triumph of English pragmatism over excessively logical grammar.
98.4% of statistics are made up on the spot.
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"Texas Instruments makes," is correct. Regardless of the name of the company, it is a single entity.
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Texas Instruments doesn't make anything. They have child laborers in China make their stuff...
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote: Texas Instruments doesn't make anything.
Because "Texas Instruments don't make. . ." sounds really wrong. Singular entity, except...
John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote: They have child laborers in China make their stuff...
They have child laborers in China make their stuff... 
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Them thar Texicans at Texas Instruments makez real good instrumentz.
If you can keep your head while those about you are losing theirs, perhaps you don't understand the situation.
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Texas Instruments makes...
Member 7989122 wrote: do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style?
I would colour it American like my neighbours to the south!
(Just to confuse the issue.  )
I'm pretty sure I would not like to live in a world in which I would never be offended.
I am absolutely certain I don't want to live in a world in which you would never be offended.
Freedom doesn't mean the absence of things you don't like.
Dave
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Clearly you speak in the English style, not American colonial, as your correct spelling of "colour" indicates.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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I was hoping somebody would catch that. Neighbour too.
I'm pretty sure I would not like to live in a world in which I would never be offended.
I am absolutely certain I don't want to live in a world in which you would never be offended.
Freedom doesn't mean the absence of things you don't like.
Dave
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I am so used to seeing "neighbour" spelled correctly that I didn't notice it as unusual. The only reason I noticed "colour" was that in C# I am constantly setting up Color objects and calling them "colour" something so I get reminded of the deficient US spelling almost every day!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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I think you mean efficient, not deficient 
if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); }
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Agreed. As computer professionals, our job is to keep things elegant, simple and maintainable. Why would we put a completely superfluous "u" in a word that doesn't need it?
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..but it does need it to allow correct pronunciation - another deficiency in the American version of an otherwise excellent language. Without the 'U' then the word should be pronounced "co-law". With the 'U' then the correct "colour" is clearly defined!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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OK, how about "co-lore" then?
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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Let's just call it an "efficient deficiency", then. 
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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That's okay, I read enough news from the BBC that the 'u' occasionally sneaks into my own 'Americanized' english. 
if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); }
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Most of these types of questions can be answered by a remark made by a German teacher, some (many many) years ago:
The only rule in German without any exceptions is that there are no rules in German without exceptions.
Apply to English, and that should answer all your questions, past, present, and future.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Singular, because when you say "Texas Instruments makes...", you really mean "The company 'Texas Instruments' makes...".
/ravi
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I come to rever to companies as "they". That's not only the third-preson plural pronoun, that's also the third-person singular gender-agnostic pronoun. And the second role fits companies rather well. That results in the omission of the S.
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I haven't read all of the responses yet, so I apologise if this is a repeat of someone else's response.
In America, corporations are plural entities; in the UK they are singular. It does not matter whether their name ends in an 's' or not.
So: IBM make electronic equipment in America; but Dyson makes electronic equipment in the UK.
Similarly: The US government are based in Washington DC; but the UK government is based in London.
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Speaking as someone living in Midwest US since birth, what you have written is exactly wrong. Companies are singular entities with all the rights and responsibilities pertaining thereto. US governments have been singular since the American Civil War: it is well documented that prior to that, it was written as "the United States are"; after, it was written "the United States is".
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