Learn English – pair of scissors OR scissors

grammarplural-forms

1 Please pass me that (scissors).

As I know "pair of scissors" and "scissors" are both correct to use. But in this sentences book has replaced "scissors" with "pair of scissors". Can you please explain why so?
I have one more doubt whether we use article here "a pair of scissors" or just "pair of scissors".

Thank you

Best Answer

Scissors is plural, like trousers, and that must be followed by a singular. The sentence can be made grammatically correct in two ways: by adding pair of (because a pair is singular), or by replacing that by its plural, those.

Please pass me that pair of scissors
Please pass me those scissors

These are both grammatically correct but, as this Ngram shows, the second version is a lot more common.

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