Is it two pairs of pants or two pair of pants?

Is it two pairs of pants or two pair of pants?

And here’s Garner’s: “The preferred plural of pair is pairs. In nonstandard usage, pair often appears as a plural.”

Is it correct to say two pair or two pairs?

ONE pair of shoes is two shoes, but it is ONE pair. TWO pairs of shoes is made up of four shoes, but is TWO pairs. Two pairs is correct. A pair is singular!

Is it 2 pair of shoes or 2 pairs of shoes?

Both are correct . The singular, PAIR of shoes, is ONE PAIR comprised of TWO SHOES. The plural, PAIRS of shoes, is MORE THAN ONE PAIR, each comprised of two shoes.

Do you say pants or pair of pants?

Think of items that are usually referred to in plural—often preceded by “pair of” or something similar, even when there is only one item: pliers, glasses, scissors, sunglasses, tweezers, etc. So, pants is a type of noun that is used only in its plural form, even when there is only one item being discussed.

Are pairs of trousers correct?

You usually use a singular form of a verb with a pair of trousers. There was a pair of trousers in his carrier-bag. The form trouser is often used in front of another noun.

Which is correct trouser or trousers?

The words trousers and pants are pluralia tantum, nouns that generally only appear in plural form—much like the words scissors and tongs, and as such pair of trousers is the usual correct form. However, the singular form is used in some compound words, such as trouser-leg, trouser-press and trouser-bottoms.

Why do we say a pair of trousers?

“Pair,” from the Latin, means two like things. And pants (pantaloons) were originally two like things. You put them on one leg at a time because they actually came in two pieces. From the beginning, about the 16th Century, pants have been referred to as a pair.

What is two pair of shoes?

In the context of shoes, a pair is a matched set, one for each foot, both the same size. You wouldn’t say “pair of sandal” because a pair is two, and two is plural. You’d say “a pair of sandals” to mean one matched set of two sandals. “Pairs” is also plural, so “pairs of sandals” means more than one pair.

Why is a pair of pants plural?

From its inception in English, pants has been plural. It’s a shortened adaptation of pantaloons, those tight-like leg coverings worn by pirates and Shakespearean characters. And in those eras of 300 or 400 years ago, before pants were a single entity, pants were actually two separate garments.

Is a pair of trousers correct?

How many pants are a pair of pants?

“Pair,” from the Latin, means two like things. And pants (pantaloons) were originally two like things. You put them on one leg at a time because they actually came in two pieces. You put on one leg, tied it around your waist, then put on the other.

How many pairs of pants equal one pair of pants?

One pair would equal a pair, or two. Two pairs would mean a total of four garments. Therefore, “two pairs of pants” indicates there are four garments involved. This would be the correct wording.

What do you call one leg of a pair of pants?

“A pant leg” is what I’ve always heard when describing one leg of a pair of pants. It would seem that an original use for the word “pant” has long been abandoned. Since “trousers” are interchangeable with “pants”, I would say that any singular use of “trouser” would not suggest a whole, modern garment. Highly active question.

Why do they call it a pair of pants?

According to some, the phrase “pair of pants” harkens back to the days when what constituted pants—or pantaloons, as they were originally known—consisted of two separate items, one for each leg. They were put on one at a time and then secured around the waist. Calling them a pair of pantaloons, or pants, as they were eventually known

Is it correct to say I need a pair of pants?

If you just want to mention the need in a more general way, you say “I need pants”. So yes, you can leave out “a pair of” in the case of a generality. But as soon as you use a specific number, you must use “pairs of”.