Noun - Number Part 2

In this article we will study the Nouns that do not change form.

Singular and the Plural alike

Certain nouns are used in both singular and plural form.
E.g. swine, sheep, deer; cod, trout, salmon; aircraft, spacecraft, series, species.

If they are used in singular sense, they take singular verb and if they are used in plural sense, they take plural verb.

A sheep is grazing in the field.
Two sheep are grazing in the field.

Nouns used only in the singular

These are of two types:

• Nouns that look Singular and are Singular
• Nouns that look Plural but are in fact Singular

They take singular verb.

Examples of such nouns:

• Names of subjects - E.g. mathematics, physics, electronics, etc.
  Mathematics is his favourite study.

• Title of a book or a chapter - E.g. David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Da Vinci Code

• Name of an organisation - E.g. the UN

• Name of a country or a place - E.g. the USA, South Africa

• Name of an uncountable noun

• Names of some common diseases - E.g. measles, mumps, rickets
  Measles is infectious.

• Names of some games - E.g. billiards, draughts
  Billiards is my favourite game.

• The word news
  No news is good news.

Nouns used only in the plural

These are also of two types:

• Nouns that look Plural and are Plural
• Nouns that look Singular but are in fact Plural

They take plural verb with them.

Look Plural and are Plural

Examples of such nouns:

• Names of instruments which have two parts forming a kind of pair - E.g. scissors, tongs, pincers, spectacles, goggles, sunglasses.

• Names of certain articles of dress - E.g. trousers, drawers, breeches, jeans, tights, shorts, pyjamas, pants.
  Where are my pants?

• Certain other nouns - E.g. annals, thanks, proceeds (of a sale), tidings, nuptials, assets.
  All his assets were seized.
  The proceeds were deposited in the bank.

Look Singular but are Plural

Certain Collective Nouns, though singular in form, are always used as plurals (because here their individual members are being talked about).

These are:
4 P’s – people, police, poultry, peasantry
3 C’s – cattle, cavalry, clergy
Gfvsy – gentry, folk, vermin, staff, youth

As they are plural, we don’t use a/an with them. Also, don’t make them plural, as their meaning is already plural.

Examples:

These poultry are his.
Where are these cattle going?

Special case of Pair Nouns

Pair noun is a noun with two complementary parts.
E.g. shoes, trousers, spectacles

Kinds of pair nouns:

• Pair nouns with joint complementary parts
• Pair nouns with separate complementary parts

Joint complementary parts

Pair noun with joint complementary parts - they will always be used in a joint form
E.g. trousers, spectacles, leggings, pyjamas, cargoes, tights, scales, goggles, eyeglasses, binoculars, jeans, pants, pliers, tongs, scissors

• We cannot change the spelling of this noun.
• They are considered plural word. Hence we will use plural verbs with them (e.g. ‘are’ instead of ‘is’).

E.g. This binocular is useless. (incorrect – cannot change spelling; need to use plural verb with them)
These binoculars are useless. (correct)

Separate complementary parts

Pair noun with separate complementary parts:
E.g. shoes, sandals, boots, slippers, gloves, stockings, mitten

• It is possible to change the spelling of this kind of pair noun.
  shoes - plural noun
  a shoe - singular noun
  
  For example:
  I have bought new shoes. (correct)
  You are missing a shoe. (correct – we can change the spelling of such pair nouns with separate complementary parts)

• We can use singular or plural verb with them, depending on how they have been used.
  
  For example:
  My shoes are dirty. (correct – we can use plural verb with them, as here shoes is plural)
  My left shoe is dirty. (correct – we can use singular verb with them, as here shoe is singular)

Counting plural nouns

In order to count pair nouns we use ‘a pair of’ and ‘pairs of’ just before such nouns.

I have a scissors. (incorrect – to count we need to use ‘a pair of’ or ‘pairs of’)
I have a pair of scissors. (correct)
I have three pairs of scissors. (correct)

I have bought two shoes. (incorrect – to count we need to use ‘a pair of’ or ‘pairs of’)
I have bought two pairs of shoes. (correct)

Extra Books and Tools

If you prefer to learn via books, or want some good English Grammar books for reference purposes, you may read this article which enlists some of the books recommended by us.