Netizens Question

Netizens Question: Your "Caption That" post is something tricky ... how many really are 1 pair of scissors?

Answer: As scissors have two blades, they are considered a pair. Although the scissors itself is one item, the dual blades work as a pair.

In Modern English, scissors have no singular form. Scissors is an example of a plurale tantum or an English word that only has a plural form that represents a singular object. They always end in S (hence in plural form) thus a singular scissor is never used.

A pair of jeans is always plural.  You can never have one "jean" but a pair of jeans or simply jeans. In the same way, a pair of socks is plural.  There is no such thing as a singular "sock." A pair of trousers is plural. And a singular "trouser" sounds too awkward.

Netizen Question: Is a pair singular or plural?

Answer: If a pair ... is one thing they are considered singular.  Like a pair of pants ... a pair of scissors ... pair of shoes or a pair of slacks. 

Is the pair of shoes singular or plural?

It's a pair of shoes. Since "shoes" is plural, it's incorrect to say "a shoes". A pair of shoes is one set of shoes, one right and one left.

Demonstrative pronouns like this and these ... or that and those should also be plural.  Example: THESE (those) scissors are ...