contact/touch/communication

[sum41111]

Hello everyone,


Here's the context,

A and B work for two different companies and one day B gets A's contact information and he decides to visit A for future cooperation.

A says this to his boss, "We didn't have any contacts/touches/communications before, because we don't know each other."

Is this setense native? Are the bold words interchangeable?


Thanks very much!

 

[GoesStation]

"Touches" doesn't work. The other two are possible in the singular, "contact" and "communication", but not in the plural. You need to change the tense of one of the verbs. Can you see which one and what tense to use?

 

[Tarheel]

What do you mean by "future cooperation"?

 

[sum41111]

"Touches" doesn't work. The other two are possible in the singular, "contact" and "communication", but not in the plural. You need to change the tense of one of the verbs. Can you see which one and what tense to use?

Thanks vm GoesStation, it's past tense and I made a mistake. One of the meanings of "touch" I found in Cambridge dictionary is "the state of being close together or in contact with someone or something", so I'm confused why it can't be used here.

Thanks

 

[Tarheel]

Try:

We haven't had contact before. But I think it would be a good idea.

 

[sum41111]

What do you mean by "future cooperation"?

Hi Tarheel, I mean there might be opportunities for the two companies to enter into an agreement in the future. Can I say this is a "future cooperation"?

 

[Tarheel]

Say:

Is this sentence natural? (No.)

And:

Are the words in bold interchangeable? (No, and I wouldn't use them anyway.)

 

[Tarheel]

Hi Tarheel, I mean there might be opportunities for the two companies to enter into an agreement in the future. Can I say this is a "future cooperation"?

No, it isn't.

You might say:

I think we might want to do business with them.

 

[sum41111]

Thank you very much Tarheel!

 

[GoesStation]

Thanks [STRIKE]vm[/STRIKE]very much GoesStation, it's past tense and I made a mistake. One of the meanings of "touch" I found in Cambridge dictionary is "the state of being close together or in contact with someone or something", so I'm confused why it can't be used here.

The dictionary listing should have said in touch with. "Touch" by itself does not mean that.

Don't use chat-style shortcuts on the forum. We require complete sentences of the sort you'd use in academic writing. You can include more casual language in quotations or examples of text you're asking questions about.

 

[Tarheel]

By the way, when I said, "No, it isn't" I meant it isn't something you should say. (But you probably already knew that.)