Amazon.com (US) giving beta access on simple pre-orders

[Hakkar]

Hello everyone

I'm a learner of english, and I find very difficult to understand the gerund at times, either because people use it incorrectly or because I think I haven't learnt every possible use of it.

In this example:
Amazon.com giving beta access on simple pre-orders


is the word "is" missing? Shouldn't it be: is giving beta access on simple pre- orders? Can you help me to understand? Thank you.

 

[lucas-sp]

The word "is" is missing, but there's nothing incorrect about it. That looks like a headline. Sometimes, in English syntax, the verb "is" can be omitted for brevity or other reasons. The reader is expected to provide the missing word. You just fill it in as you read along.

 

[DocPenfro]

"Giving", here, isn't a gerund: it's a present participle. Since the two are identical in form there is an inevitable potential for confusion here.

is the word "is" missing?

Yes, it is. Your example sentence is written in the telegraphic style typical of newspaper and magazine headlines. In reality you would be just as likely to see "are" rather than "is", since Amazon.com could be regarded as a plural subject.

 

[lucas-sp]

In reality you would be just as likely to see "are" rather than "is", since Amazon.com could be regarded as a plural subject.

In Britain, perhaps, but almost never in America. Companies are pretty much exclusively singular in contemporary AE.

(Not that it matters. Doc is totally right; I just wanted to make sure that the nuance of "is"/"are" wasn't glossed over.)

 

[Hakkar]

Thank you everybody for your help I understand now. Thank you.