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Believer Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

plural noun

0Hi,02br
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00I think 'shoes' and 'socks' are plural nouns. Can we use a plural noun in terms of its singular constituents(??)? I do seem to see them used like that often.02br
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00Please bring me a shoe/sock. 0-
  

Top answer

0Yes. I 'm finding it hard to think of nouns that can't be used in singular. With 'socks' and 'shoes' the fact that they come in pairs so we normally speak of them in plural doesn't stop them actually being two individual items.

— Nona the brit

  • 0Yes.
  • I 'm finding it hard to think of nouns that can't be used in singular.
  • With 'socks' and 'shoes' the fact that they come in pairs so we normally speak of them in plural doesn't stop them actually being two individual items.
  • 0-
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7 Answers
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0Yes. I 'm finding it hard to think of nouns that can't be used in singular. With 'socks' and 'shoes' the fact that they come in pairs so we normally speak of them in plural doesn't stop them actually being two individual items. A one-legged man wears only one shoe.0-
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0Even "pants" are actually called "a pant" in the retail trade.0-
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0Hi,02br
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00Yes, but you don't buy 'a trouser'. 05002br
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00Clive010id2
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0 .02br
00There are a number of 'plural only' nouns:01i00 cattle, oats, scissors, police02i00. They should occupy a small section of your grammar book.0-
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0Hi,02br
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00Although it seems to me that I've heard Americans speak of 'a scissor'. Is that common?02br
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00Clive0-
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0Not for me. But then, just like most people say "pants" and a retail person says "a pant" maybe an artist or scrap book afficianado (sp?) says "A scissor."02br
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00 Having said that, I've never heard it used in "real life."0-
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0I actually do say "a scissor" sometimes, but I would never defend it as correct. I don't know how I got into the habit of saying it. Sometimes I even say "a scissors." [:^)]0-
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