For some reason, it sounds a bit off to me. I know that shoes are plural, but they come with a pair, which singular.
What shoes are she wearing?
OR
What shoes is she wearing?
Which one is correct and why?
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Related: ell.stackexchange.com/q/129416– ColleenVCommented Nov 7, 2017 at 12:19
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1 Answer
The subject is "she". So the verb should agree with "she"
she is wearing or
is she wearing? (interrogative)
"Shoes" is an object here. The verb doesn't agree with it.
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Moreover, What uniform are they wearing? (When we change the she to they, we change the verb from is to are.)– J.R. ♦Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 11:21
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@J.R. It sounds like one uniform for all of them. I prefer, "What uniform is each of them wearing?" Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 17:12
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@SovereignSun - No, you're missing the point. Imagine a sports team that wears three uniforms. We are on our way to the game. I may ask, "What uniform are they wearing?" because all players will wear the same (colored) uniform. I would certainly not ask, "What uniform is each of them wearing?" because that makes it sounds like half the team might be wearing, say, the green uniform, and the other half white.– J.R. ♦Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 18:36
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@J.R. Oh, yeh, that "uniform". Surely then you're right. It's an uncountable noun in this case. Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 18:39