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So I went to a shop to buy a blow dryer and asked the shop assistant if they had a blow dryer. As soon as I said that, I felt like my sentence was a bit odd. I don't know why, but I kept thinking I should have said “do you have blow dryers?”
I don't know why I thought like that but it sounded more natural to me..
What would native speakers prefer between those two sentences and why?
Thanks in advance
Native speakers, when in a store that might sell hair dryers, would probably ask 'Do you have (or sell, or keep, or stock) hair dryers?', because they want to know if that type of appliance is sold in the shop, and, if it is, they want to see a range of dryers and maybe choose one. If they said 'Do you have a hair dryer?' an exact-minded sales person might think they meant 'I want any hair dryer, I don't care which', but most likely they would interpret the question in the first way, and respond appropriately. Good sales people know how to find out what the customer wants.
