| 词组 | pair |
| 释义 | pair 1. Plural: "pair," "pairs." The usual plural is pairs, when there is no preceding number or indicator of number (as several): • ... maturity is the ability to live with conflicting pairs of truths —Faubion Bowers, Saturday Rev., 12 Feb. 1972 When a number or indicator of number precedes pair, either pair or pairs may be used: • ... hung the pin-stripe suit with the two pair of pants —Wright Morris, Real Losses, Imaginary Gains, 1976 • ... six pair of blue jeans —Marcia Cohen, N. Y. Times Mag, 2 Mar. 1975 • It had oarlocks for three pairs of oars —Frances H. Eliot, New England Journeys, 1953 • In a saucepan soak 2 pairs of sweetbreads —Evan Jones, Gourmet, February 1973 • A few commentators—Harper 1985, Bremner 1980, Shaw 1987—disparage the plural form pair after a number. Our evidence shows that both pair and pairs are in reputable use in the U.S. 2. Agreement. Pair is one of those collective nouns that take a singular or plural verb according to notional agreement. If you are thinking of the individuals in the pair, you will use a plural verb: • A pair of elephants were grazing near the camp — Alan Moorehead, No Room in the Ark, 1959, in Henry I. Christ, Modern English in Action, 1982 If you are thinking of the pair as a unit, you will use the singular: • Genuine crocodile loafers.... The handsome pair has a hand-sewn moccasin construction —catalog, Trifles, Fall 1987 3. Pair of twins. Among the minor matters that engage some usage writers is the expression pair of twins. Shaw 1987 and Bremner 1980 conclude that pair of twins should not be used unless four people are meant. Bernstein 1971 pooh-poohs this view: "... in ordinary, forgiveable usage a pair of twins is the customary phrase." Bernstein even finds the expression useful. It could sometimes be useful for clarification, perhaps. We have a snippet from a magazine in the Merriam-Webster files that refers to a doctor surrounded by 8 or 10 twins. How many people would that be? Unfortunately we do not have enough of the story to be able to tell for sure. Pair of twins appears to be a spoken usage; we have no evidence for it in print. |
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