Singular and plural

A. Sometimes we use a plural noun for one thing that has two parts. For example:

  trousers (two legs) also jeans/tights/shorts/pants

  pyjamas (top and bottom)

  glasses (or spectacles)

  binoculars

  scissors

  These words are plural, so they take a plural verb:

  * My trousers are too long. (not 'is too long')

  You can also use a pair of + these words:

  * Those are nice jeans. or That's a nice pair of jeans. (not 'a nice jeans')

  * I need some new glasses. or I need a new pair of glasses.

    B. Some nouns end in -ice but are not usually plural. 

For example .. 

athletics

gymnastics  

mathematics (or maths)  

physics  

electronics   

economics  

politics

  * Gymnastics is my favourite sport.

  News is not plural

  * What time is the news on television? (not 'are the news')

  

Some words ending in -s can be singular or plural. For example:

  means - a means of transport - many means of transport

  series - a television series - two television series

  species - a species of bird - 200 species of bird

    C. Some singular nouns are often used with a plural verb. 

For example:

government  

staff  

team  

family  

audience  

committee  

company  

firm

  These nouns are all groups of people. 

  We often think of them as a number of people (= 'they'), not as one thing (= 'it'). 

  So we often use a plural verb:

  

  * The government (= they) want to increase taxes.

  

  * The staff at the school (= they) are not happy with their new working conditions.

  

  In the same way, we often use a plural verb after the name of a sports team or a company:

  

  * Scotland are playing France next week (in a football match).

  

  * Shell have increased the price of petrol.

  

A singular verb (The government wants.../Shell has... etc.) is also possible.

  We always use a plural verb with police:

  * The police have arrested a friend of mine. (not 'The police has')

  * Do you think the police are well-paid?

  Note that a person in the police is 'a policeman/a policewoman/a police officer' (not 'a police').

    D. We do not often use the plural of person ('persons'). 

 We normally use people (a plural word):

  * He's a nice person. but They are nice people.

  * Many people don't have enough to eat. (not 'doesn't have')

    

   E. We think of a sum of money, a period of time, a distance etc. as one thing. So we use a singular verb:

  

  * Twenty thousand pounds (= it) was stolen in the robbery. (not 'were stolen')

   

  * Three years (= it) is a long time to be without a job. (not 'Three years are ...')

  

  * Six miles is a long way to walk every day.

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    EXERCISES

  1 Complete the sentences using a word from Sections A or B. Sometimes you need a or some.

  

 1. My eyes aren't very good. I need _glasses._

 2. This plant is _a_ very rare _species._

 3. Footballers don't wear trousers when they play. They wear ---.

 4. The bicycle is --- of transport.

  

 5. The bicycle and the car are --- of transport.

  6. I want to cut this piece of material. I need ---.

  7. Ann is going to write --- of articles for her local newspaper.

  8. There are a lot of American TV --- shown on British television.

  9. While we were out walking, we saw 25 different --- of bird.

 2 In each example the words on the left are connected with an activity (for example, a sport or an academic subject). 

Write the name of the activity. Each time the beginning of the word is given.

  

  1. calculate algebra equation: mathematics.

  

  2. government election minister: p---

  

  3. finance trade industry: e---

  

  4. running lumping throwing: a---

  

  5. light heat gravity: ph---

  

  6. exercises  somersault  parallel bars: gy---

  

  7. computer silicon chip video games: el---

  

3 Choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural. In one sentence either the singular or plural verb is possible.

  1. Gymnastics _is/are_ my favourite sport. ('is' is correct)

  2. The trousers you bought for me _doesn't/don't_ fit me.

  3. The police _want/wants_ to interview two men about the robbery last week.

  4. Physics _was/were_ my best subject at school.

  5. Can I borrow your scissors? Mine _isn't/aren't_ sharp enough.

  6. Fortunately the news _wasn't/weren't_ as bad as we expected.

  7. Where _does/do_ your family live?

  8. Three days _isn't/aren't_ long enough for a good holiday.

  9. I can't find my binoculars. Do you know where _it is/they are?_

  10. Do you think the people _is/are_ happy with the government?

  11. _Does/Do_ the police know how the accident happened?

  12. I don't like very hot weather. Thirty degrees _is/are_ too warm for me.

4 Most of these sentences are wrong. Correct them where necessary; Put 'RIGHT' if the sentence is already correct.

  1. The government want to increase taxes. _RIGHT (wants' is also correct)_

  2. Susan was wearing a black jeans.

  3. Brazil are playing Italy in a football match next Wednesday.

  4. I like Martin and Jill. They're very nice persons.

  5. I need more money than that. Ten pounds are not enough.

  6. I'm going to buy a new pyjama.

  7. The committee haven't made a decision yet.

  8. Many people has given up smoking.

  9. There was a police standing at the corner of the street.

  10. Has the police arrived yet?

  11. This scissors is not very sharp.