When you started learning English, you were probably taught that the plural form of nouns is formed simply by adding –s or –es to the noun: “My company is big, but international companies are bigger.” Here are a few examples of nouns that follow their own, sometimes confusing, rules.
Let’s start with the singular nouns ending in -(e)s. Can it be more confusing? When talking about fields of study and occupation, we will often use nouns like economics, statistics, politics, ethics, etc.; and when describing our favourite pastimes and games, it will often be dominoes, cards, darts, billiards or aerobics. These nouns have an -(e)s ending, but only take a singular verb, so we say: “I have always thought politics is boring; and “Darts is my favourite pastime.” This category also includes the word news, which might sound strange, however the good news is that we can learn these examples by heart. Plural-only nouns only have the plural form and never take a singular verb. Examples include words like customs, merchandise, weapons, location. For example: “The faulty goods were immediately returned to the manufacturer.” Singular nouns custom and arm have entirely different meanings. Words such as clothes, jeans, scissors or glasses only come in plural form, mostly because they are made up of two or more parts. Glass can also be singular, but in that case has a different meaning: “I have broken my last wine glass.”, but “My colleague has lost his glasses and now he can’t read his mail.” More examples include words such as contents, intellect, appearance, thanks, remains, arrears, earnings and surroundings. “At a job interview, do you think brains are more important than looks, or is it the other way round?”
