Word-usage: “two pair” or “two pairs”? Proper phrasing: If one has “two pairs of eyes on everything” wouldn’t that mean they have four eyes?
I was considering downloading the Grammarly app and was reading the reviews. I cut and pasted the following review just to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes:
“When I discovered Grammarly it seemed like a no-brainer solution. It allows me to have confidence that I have two pairs of eyes on everything that I write.”
Sara H. Talent Acquisition Manager
I admit I sometimes need help with the proper usage of the English language but basically I’ve gotten along on just what ‘sounds right’.
Which is correct: “I have two pairs of eyes” or “I have two pair of eyes”? I’m probably wrong but the second one just sounds right.
Second question: She stated, “It allows me to have confidence that I have two pairs of eyes on everything that I write.” If she has “two pairs of eyes” checking her grammar, wouldn’t that mean she’s reading it with four eyes?
Come to think of it, that last sentence just sounds funny to me. She has confidence that she has two pairs of eyes on everything? Does she have a problem with her eyes wandering and Grammarly helps her focus, therefore she has confidence in Grammarly? I’m sure I’ve made tons of grammatical and punctuation errors just in the questions on this page so I will stop nitpicking!
Thank you in advance for your help and time.
Solution 1:
The plural of "pair" is "pairs" (ref: Collins Dictionary). Phrases like "two pair" I have only ever heard used to describe a poker hand (ref: Wiktionary) or similar.
In your quote, Sara only has one pair of eyes, the second pair is a metaphorical pair belonging to Grammarly.