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allowance
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Feb 4, 2012 11:50
12 yrs ago
5 viewers *
English term

work or works

English Law/Patents Law: Contract(s)
The question is:

- "procurement of goods, works, services" (360,000 Google hits)
- "goods, works, services" (3,870,000 hits)

or

- "procurement of goods, work, services" (7 hits)
- " goods, work, services" (62,700 hits) ?


'work' is an uncountable noun, similar to water, i.e., we cannot say "I have a lot of works".

According to http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/work_4... there are some exceptions:
1) [countable/uncountable] something produced by a writer, painter, musician, or other artist
2) [uncountable/plural] the repairing and building of something.

But I see, e.g.:

> The Standard Bidding Document for Procurement of Small Works is based on... (plural, countable)
http://web.worldbank.org/

So, what should I use in procurement contracts: Work (uncountable) or Works (countable), and why?

Thanks!
Responses
5 +1 either
4 +2 works
3 +1 Either, depending on context.

Discussion

Mark Robertson Feb 5, 2012:
Reply to BD Finch How does it work in French with travail, travaux, oeuvre(s), which have the sames roots as the Spanish and Portuguese terms?
Mark Robertson Feb 5, 2012:
I agree that there are many other meanings of works, e.g. a factory; - gas works, or literary works, but, in this context, the work is the action, works are the thing that is done. Works are the product, the fruit, the result, the consequence, which is frequently a process and not instantaneous. So the supervision of works are supervision of that process.
B D Finch Feb 4, 2012:
@Mark That is interesting and made me finally look at my Collins Dico, which gives 34 different meanings or shades of meaning for "work" and a mere nine for "works" and yet fails to cover the term "building works", or the use of "works" in that context!

How would you extend your definition to the quite common usage of 'supervision/direction of works'? I understand that as including labour as you cannot direct a wall or a drain - my father used to sometimes complain that he was talking to a brick wall, but we took that metaphorically.
Mark Robertson Feb 4, 2012:
In many languages there are two concepts, i.e.
Latin: opera, Portuguese/Spanish: Obra,
which means the result of work.
AND
Latin: labor, Portuguese, trabalho; Spanish trabajo.
which means work.
My impression gained from translation from a language that clearly makes this distinction, into a language that does not, i.e. PT-EN, is that works normally means the result of work. In this context works is not the plural of work. Thus an employment contract, or a contract for the supply of services, is a contract for work, while a construction contract is a contract for works.
B D Finch Feb 4, 2012:
US examples en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_Control_Act_of_1936
"L. 74-738, (FCA 1936) was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by ... the Federal Government free from damages due to the construction works, ..."

www.ehow.com › Legal
"The U.S. Congress passed the Davis-Bacon Act in 1931. ... Public construction, works and purchases refer to projects initiated by a state government body ..."

www.switchboard.com/business/AR/.../trim-plus-construction-...
"Map and listings for trim plus construction works in Springdale, AR. ..."
Kim Metzger Feb 4, 2012:
British vs. American English distinction. In US English, one would in fact use 'work' as an uncountable noun in contracts, or 'projects'
Jack Doughty Feb 4, 2012:
This glossary provides for an exception The glossary does not actually define "work" or "works", but itself uses "works" virtually everywhere. However, there is an entry under Estimates which allows for an exception.

Estimate

A genuine and realistic price calculated by an officer that represents an estimate for defined works, goods or services, as required by EU rules or standing orders for the purposes of determining the procurement process and ensuring adequate budget provision. ***This should not be confused with an estimate from a contractor, supplier or service provided for a defined piece of work***
Kim Metzger Feb 4, 2012:
works http://www.north-herts.gov.uk/index/business/procurement/glo...

Responses

+1
2 mins
Selected

either

"works"is very common in this type of context but "work" is ok too

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2012-02-04 11:57:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

normally "work" is general whereas "works" (which is perfectly acceptable) is more specific (particular projects, etc.) so feel free to select the option that best fits your context
Peer comment(s):
agree Paul Lambert
32 mins
thanks Paul :)
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks a lot!"
+1
7 mins

Either, depending on context.

I would say it depends on what it specifies in the contract. If the work consists of individual separate jobs, I would use works. If it is just work in general under the contract, I would use work. I realise that it still might not be clear in some contracts which should be used, so I'm sorry I can't give you a more precise answer.
Peer comment(s):
agree Kim Metzger
1 hr
Thank you.
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+2
49 mins

works

Though you have not posted sufficient context to be sure, if this is about procurement of construction or manufacture, it is correct to use "works" as the word covers not just labour, but what is produced by it. On the other hand, if the meaning is restricted to work in the sense of 'labour', it would be more sensible to remove the ambiguity by using the word 'labour'.
Peer comment(s):
agree Stephanie Ezrol : the world bank use, and probably other such appear to be talking about works as projects
1 hr
Thanks Stephanie. Perhaps you could give examples, because they seem to me to use the term in the ordinary, bog-standard manner.
agree Batjavkhaa Batsaikhan
21 hrs
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