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Tamguatlay Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Which bold word should I use?

A neighbour told me that there was/were a pair of scissors and bloodstains on the floor.

Which bold verb should I use?

Thanks.
  

Top answer

You can use either, but 'was' is probably the more common as the next noun (pair) is singular. CB

— Cool Breeze

  • You can use either, but 'was' is probably the more common as the next noun (pair) is singular.
  • CB
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4 Answers
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You can use either, but 'was' is probably the more common as the next noun (pair) is singular.

CB
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galaxy1998the answer is WAS
As CB said, you can use either.
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(1) Was is singular / were in plural. (I was / we were) The scissors are a singular noun, so you would use the singular form of the verb to agree with it. (2) the article "and" makes it confusing, I would change it to "beside the," or "alongside" , "next to the" to make the meaning clearer. Thus: A neighbor told me that there was a pair of scissors beside the bloodstains on the floor.
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