more students had athletic shoes

[navi tasan]

Which are correct?
1) More students had athletic shoes than dress shoes.
2) More students had athletic shoes than had dress shoes.
3) More students had athletic shoes than they had dress shoes.

I'd put an 'on' at the end of the sentence to show that that was what they were wearing, but I am not sure that is necessary.

I am pretty sure about #1, but not about the other two.

 

[emsr2d2]

1 is best.
2 is OK.
3 is incorrect.

If you're talking about wearing the shoes, I would put "on" after "athletic shoes". However, in reality, if I were talking about wearing shoes, that's the verb I'd use - "More students were wearing athletic shoes than dress shoes".
As those sentences stand, they don't mean anyone was wearing anything - they all express ownership.