<p>"The antique dealer [...] gives the reader tips on how to tell spurious antiques from the real thing."</p>
<p>Should "thing" be "things" to make the comparison logical - to make the comparison match in number?</p>
<p>Is it wrong?</p>
<p>Bump this thread.</p>
<p>Since it is not specified what the reader is looking for, both could easily be correct. I would probably leave it as no error.</p>
<p>“the real thing” is idiomatic.</p>
<p>I think the sentence implies that there is only one “real” thing which can be confused with many “spurious” ones. The sentence wouldn’t be wrong either way. This can go both ways.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure it should be “things” it is comparing “spurious antiqueS” to “real thingS”</p>