Nouns: singular and plural

Nouns used only in the singular

Some nouns are used only in the singular, even though they end in -s. These include:

• the names of academic subjects such as classics, economics, mathematics/maths, physics; the physical activities gymnastics and aerobics; the diseases measles and mumps; and the word news:
• Maths was never my best subject at school.
• Aerobics is great fun – you should try it!

Nouns used only in the plural

Some nouns only have a plural form. They cannot be used with numbers. They include the names of certain tools, instruments and articles of clothing which have two parts.

Tools and instruments

binoculars	headphones	sunglasses
glasses	scissors	tweezers

Clothing

jeans	pyjamas	tights
knickers	shorts	trousers
pants

• I’ve got new sunglasses. Do you like them?
• He always wears shorts, even in the winter.

A pair of

We can use pair of to refer to one example of these nouns:

• I bought a new pair of binoculars last week.
• That old pair of trousers will be useful for doing jobs in the garden.

We use pairs of to refer to more than one example of this type of noun:

• They’re advertising two pairs of glasses for the price of one.
• I bought three pairs of shorts for the summer.

Other nouns which are always plural in form

belongings	outskirts
clothes	premises (buildings)
congratulations	savings (money)
earnings	stairs
goods	surroundings
likes/dislikes	thanks

• Please ensure that you take all your belongings with you as you leave the aircraft.
• They live on the outskirts of Frankfurt, almost in the countryside.
• My clothes are wet. I’ll have to go upstairs and change.
• She spent all her savings on a trip to South America.

Collective nouns (group words)

Some nouns refer to groups of people (e.g. audience, committee, government, team). These are sometimes called collective nouns. Some collective nouns can take a singular or plural verb, depending on whether they are considered as a single unit or as a collection of individuals:

audience	crew	public
committee	enemy	team
company	government	Manchester United

Compare

seen as a single unit	seen as individuals
The audience was larger than average and the concert was a success.	The audience were all cheering wildly.
The government is hoping that online voting will attract more young people to vote.	The government are all very nervous about the report, which will be published tomorrow.
Manchester United is the world’s most famous football club.	Manchester United are looking forward to meeting Valencia in the final next week.

In general, a plural verb is more common with these nouns in informal situations.

See also

• Piece words and group words