Singular or plural in generalization?

[gorikaz]

When a noun is mentioned as a symbol or representative of all members of a group, which of the following can be used?

1. Students are required to wear a uniform.
2. Students are required to wear uniforms.

*Do I need to make the above 1's "uniform" plural since the subject is plural? Or is it not necessarily required to make it plural since I am only referring "a uniform" as a generic noun in this sentence?

[Casiopea]

Both are used; both are fine. The problem is co-referencing. Plural uniforms could mean that each student has more than one uniform or that each student has just the one uniform.

1. Students are required to wear a uniform.
2. Students are required to wear uniforms. <can be ambiguous>

Context and/or paralinguistic information usually helps. For example, unlike 2. above, neither of these admits to ambiguity:

Let's get into our car. <one car>
Let's get into our cars. <two or more cars; one per person>

The second example doesn't have two meanings. The reason being, we know that in reality one person can't drive two cars at the same time.

All the best.

[gorikaz]

I see, thank you for your informative comments and help!