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Teo Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

a scissors

0Each child is to use01font00 a scissors02font00. 01font00How many scissors02font00 should there be for this row of children? (page 19, 01i00Making Number Discoveries,02i00 written by Leo J. Brueckner et al., published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.02br
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00In the above passage, "scissors" is used as a countable noun whose plural form is the same as its singular form. Since the book is a math textbook for elementary school students, it is supposed to be standard usage, isn't it? If not, should I tell my students to avoid such usage? 02br
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00PS. I am a Taiwanese teacher of English.0-
  

Top answer

0"Scissors" is a plural, you can't say "01b 00a02b 00 scissors", it should be "a pair of scissors". 0-

— Pieanne

  • 0"Scissors" is a plural, you can't say "01b 00a02b 00 scissors", it should be "a pair of scissors".
  • 0-
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8 Answers
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0"Scissors" is a plural, you can't say "01b00a02b00 scissors", it should be "a pair of scissors". Yet you can say "00Could you pass me the/those scissors, please." (from Cambridge)02br
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00I guess "how many /pairs of/ scissors" is correct.0-
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0Hi guys,02br
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00I think 'a scissors' is accepted, or at least said, in American English.02br
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00Best wishes, Clive0-
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0"A scissors" is definitely not said in British English - it's "some scissors" or "a pair of scissors".0-
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Clive12cite10I think 'a scissors' is accepted, or at least said, in American English.10Yes, see in the New York Times:12br
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11h3

10 15010 12h3

10 ... tape gun and 11b10a scissors12b10 and gets some heavy work ...12br
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10February 6
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0 01blockquote
00"A scissors" is definitely not said in British English - it's "some scissors" or "a pair of scissors".12blockquote
10This applies to Helsinki English as well.05002br
00CB010id1
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0 Or even just "scissors" - "use scissors to cut that piece of paper"0-
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0Can we say "a pants (shorts, glasses, ...)" or "how many pants(shorts, glasses, ...)"? If not, scissors is an exception, isn't it?0-
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0Hi,02br
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00Yeah, when it's used, it's an exception. Some of these Americans are a wild and crazy bunch.05002br
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00Best wishes, again.010id4
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