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Vincent Teo Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

torn shoes

Can I say,

(a) He is wearing the shoes that are torn.

(b) The shoes he wears are / had / has torn.

(c) He wears torn shoes.

(d) The shoes had / has / are / were torn.
  

Top answer

Vincent Teo Can I say, (a) He is wearing the shoes that are torn. This implies that he has other shoes which are not torn, and this one pair which is. He is wearing the torn shoes.

— Thomas Tompion

  • Vincent Teo Can I say, (a) He is wearing the shoes that are torn.
  • This implies that he has other shoes which are not torn, and this one pair which is.
  • He is wearing the torn shoes.
  • (b) The shoes he wears are / had / has torn.
  • -The shoes he wears are torn.
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6 Answers
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Vincent TeoCan I say,

(a) He is wearing the shoes that are torn. This implies that he has other shoes which are not torn, and this one pair which is. He is wearing the torn shoes.

(b) The shoes he wears are / had / has torn.
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Thanks.

Can you write the correct one? It's quite confused. It seems like lots of answers.
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That's difficult, Vincent. As I tried to explain, several of the forms of words are entirely correct, but they mean different things. I can't tell you which you want to say. I think you must decide what you want the sentence to mean and then choose the appropriate correct one.
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Hi,
A small further comment.

I wouldn't say we commonly speak of shoes being 'torn'. Shoes, at least where I live, are usually quite strong and unlikely to tear.

We often say 'There is a hole in my shoe', meaning that there is a hole in the sole of my shoe, usually due to excesive wear.
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Thanks. Can I say,

His shoes are torn badly.
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Certainly you can. Or 'His shoes are badly torn'. Remember people would normally understand this as meaning that the uppers were ripped, and certainly not that the soles were worn.
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