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Shall I wait until the pair are delivered or pair is delivered (which is correct)?

RE a pair of shoes recently ordered in an email to a retailer. To me, pair of shoes ARE delivered sounds correct but Grammarly keeps inserting IS.  

Update:

Thank you all. So is it is then.

3 Answers

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  • blank
    Lv 6
    11 months ago
    Favourite answer

    Both you and the program are correct - well sorta.

    You can argue that since you are talking about shoeS, plural, then the correct word is ARE for plural tense.   That is why the ARE usage sound correct to you - IS singular, ARE plural.

    Problem is, strictly speaking you are talking about a single pair (not multiple pairS) so therefore the program is correclty directing you to use IS.

    Unless you expressly need to drill down to a single pair that is on order for some reason, suggest you go around the issue and simplfy:

    "I will wait unitl the shoes are delivered." 

    Removes the disconnect of IS/ARE.

    Hope this helps.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    11 months ago

    The pair of shoes is...   The shoes are...  About half the English speaking population get that wrong.

  • 11 months ago

    IS ... because "pair" is singular.  "Of shoes" is not related to the verb tense.

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