Us boys'd zay IS, and us Ingrish be gude. Zum rural volks in Lunnen an Brummagem maight dizgree. Bess Ingrish be zpoke in Edinburg, as enny fule no.Many years ago some of us at work had a discussion and didn't resolve the answer. Which is correct - 1. A pair of knickers is hanging on the washing line. or 2. A pair of knickers are hanging on the washing line ??
Well haggis are feisty
I’m sure there is an ointment for that
We'll get a page long answer
Many years ago some of us at work had a discussion and didn't resolve the answer. Which is correct - 1. A pair of knickers is hanging on the washing line. or 2. A pair of knickers are hanging on the washing line ??
You'll get used to it. A good sawhorsey thing makes all the diff, if I can find an image of mine I'll put it up...I spent some time withthe chainsaw cutting up logs for my fire.
I still have all my limbs and digits.
Strange how out of balance you feel while holding the saw and using it.
Job done though.
Aha, so there is a knicker nicker int neighbourhood!!!
"is" cos a pair of anything is a singular item.Many years ago some of us at work had a discussion and didn't resolve the answer. Which is correct - 1. A pair of knickers is hanging on the washing line. or 2. A pair of knickers are hanging on the washing line ??
You'll get used to it. A good sawhorsey thing makes all the diff, if I can find an image of mine I'll put it up.
Folding stainless one with teeth to hold the logs afore you cut em down.
Only if you give no singular article/descriptor or adjective such as "a pair of blue knickers is lying on the floor", would the singular form of the verb be used.
Thinking further maybe I should get them back out of the bin !
Funny how the smoke is still moving but the two ejected cartridges are sitting there in suspended animation!
Only if you give no singular article/descriptor or adjective such as "a pair of blue knickers is lying on the floor", would the singular form of the verb be used.
Most other cases would be more likely to be plural.
"some" or "my" or any other descriptor, even the definite article "the" are all ambiguous so could, and maybe even should, be followed by "are", or "were". The clue is that "knickers ends in an "-s" which makes them plural even though they are only one garment.
So "Your green knickers were/are still on the line."
But knickers or pants or panties are a real oddity in English. In other languages they are one singular word,
Ditto "shorts", "trousers", "jodphurs" etc.
Even where the French pinch our word, they make it singular, hence, "un slip" (which of course they got wrong, as a "slip" in English although still an undergarment is something entirely different,) means wimmins knickers or panties, same as "une culotte".
They use "un short" for a pair of shorts.
(Can't be assed to find out if it's the same in other languages.)
and here endeth the lesson.
WAKE UP AT THE BACK!!!!!!
