a pair of clothes? 14 pairs of clothes?
1) At first, is it correct in grammar? Can I use it in conversation when I refer to one item (for example the shirt that you are wearing now) or 14 items? and, if I only use clothes without 'a pair of ~', does it mean only plural? or is 'a pair of clothes' itself worng?
2) Clothes, itself, mean only more than two items? For example, when mom tell his child "Take off the clothes!", does it mean, take off your shirt and pants etc. not one item?
3) Pants have two legs but it is a piece of clothing (=one item), and in binoculars, glasses it is the same case. But in clothes case, it's not that case?
4) are 'the clothes, these clothes, your clothes, that clothes' all more than two items?
Please, help me. It makes me confused.
Re: a pair of clothes? 14 pairs of clothes?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
atssarbia 
1) At first, is it correct in grammar? Can I use it in conversation when I refer to one item (for example the shirt that you are wearing now) or 14 items? and, if I only use clothes without 'a pair of ~', does it mean only plural? or is 'a pair of clothes' itself worng?
2) Clothes, itself, mean only more than two items? For example, when mom tell his child "Take off the clothes!", does it mean, take off your shirt and pants etc. not one item?
3) Pants have two legs but it is a piece of clothing (=one item), and in binoculars, glasses it is the same case. But in clothes case, it's not that case?
4) are 'the clothes, these clothes, your clothes, that clothes' all more than two items?
Please, help me. It makes me confused.
1) Clothes is plural noun means a single dress. Singular ‘clothe’ is used as verb to express covering of the body by clothes. So you can say: 'a pair of clothes’ or 14 pairs of clothes.
2) No, Clothes mean a single item of dress. ’Take off the clothes’ means remove whatever you are wearing.
3) Yes, Clothes and glasses(used for viewing or as spectacle) are plural nouns.
4) No, it can be a single item of dress or more than one item.
You go to a clothes shop for buying dress, a clothe shop is incorrect..
Re: a pair of clothes? 14 pairs of clothes?
Sarat 106, thank you for your teaching, but I have another question.
The clothes are in the dryer.
Does this sentence mean two meanings depending on the conversational situation, at the same time?
I mean, could it mean many items(jeans, pants, shirts) and could it mean just one item(only one shirt), even though the plural expressiong('are')is used?
from atssarbia...
Re: a pair of clothes? 14 pairs of clothes?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
atssarbia Sarat 106, thank you for your teaching, but I have another question.
The clothes are in the dryer.
Does this sentence mean two meanings depending on the conversational situation, at the same time?
I mean, could it mean many items(jeans, pants, shirts) and could it mean just one item(only one shirt), even though the plural expressiong('are')is used?
from atssarbia...
Yes. It can mean many or single, Since it is a plural noun it always needs a plural verb.
If it is one item you can say: The clothing item/article is in the dryer
Re: a pair of clothes? 14 pairs of clothes?
I would never say "a pair of clothes" or "14 clothes" or "14 pairs of clothes." That's really unnatural. "I got a pair of cute shirts at the store" "I got a great deal on a new pair of jeans." -- Just to make things confusing, "a pair of shirts" are two garments, while "a pair of jeans (trousers/pants)" is one garment.
I agree that "your clothes" means "whatever you are wearing" if a mother says "Take off those dirty clothes" but it can mean "whatever you own." "None of my clothes fit now that I've lost all that weight." A mother would say "those clothe" or "your clothes" not "the clothes."
If you had one item in the dryer, you would NOT say "The clothes are in the dryer." You'd say "Your shirt is in the dryer" or "Your dress is in the dryer" or "Your jeans are in the dryer" etc. If you say "Your clothes are in the dryer" it definitely means more than one garment.
