How many hands has a clock? vs How many hands have a clock?

[Deepageorge02]

Is it
How many hands has a clock ? OR
How many hands have a clock?

[Foah]

Hi, Deepage..... ,

I´d say the correctness of the verb-form depends on the subject in your question.

If the subject was clock (3rd person singular .....it has......) the first choice was correct. (How many hands has a clock? It has two hands.)

In case the subject were hands (3rd person plural .......they have [got]........) the second choice was correct. (How many hands have [got] a clock? 10 hands have [got] a clock each.)

Nonetheless, I tend to say that the first opportunity sounds more natural. :)

Hope I´m right with my explanation. Knowing it would also help me a lot

Thanks in advance

Michael
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"Ho ho!" said the clown

[Deepageorge02]

I too feel the same, but explaining it to students was tough