Plural singular, though seemingly contradictory, refers to nouns that are singular in form but plural in meaning or usage.
In essence, these nouns look like they should refer to one thing but are treated grammatically as plural and often refer to a group or collection of things. It can also refer to nouns that, although seemingly plural, are treated as singular.
Here's a breakdown:
Singular in Form, Plural in Meaning (and often Usage)
These nouns, while not strictly "plural singular", are close and often confused as such. They are singular in appearance but require a plural verb.
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Examples:
- Police: "The police are investigating the crime." (Not "is")
- People: "Many people were affected by the storm." (Not "was")
- Cattle: "The cattle are grazing in the field." (Not "is")
- Poultry: "The poultry were fed this morning." (Not "was")
These words refer to a collection of individuals, even though they don't end in "s". Thus, they take a plural verb.
In British English, collective nouns such as team, family, crew, government can be either singular or plural depending on whether the group is thought of as one or as individuals.- The team is playing well. (Emphasis on team as one unit)
- The team are fighting amongst themselves. (Emphasis on individuals in team)
Plural in Form, Singular in Meaning (and Usage)
These nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning. They take a singular verb.
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Examples:
- News: "The news is good." (Not "are")
- Mathematics: "Mathematics is a challenging subject." (Not "are")
- Physics: "Physics is my favorite subject." (Not "are")
- Economics: "Economics is an important field of study." (Not "are")
- Measles: "Measles is a contagious disease." (Not "are")
- Mumps: "Mumps is also a contagious disease." (Not "are")
- Billiards: "Billiards is a game." (Not "are")
These words, despite ending in "s", are treated as singular entities.
- Exceptions:
- Trousers, pants, jeans: These are treated as plural because they have two parts. "My trousers are too tight".
- Scissors, binoculars: As with the clothing examples, these are treated as plural because they have two parts. "The scissors are on the table".
- Earnings, savings: These words describe a plural meaning so are treated as plural. "My earnings were good this month".
Words ending in -s that can be either singular or plural depending on the context:
- Means: "The mean is 5". "By all means, come in".
- Headquarters: "Our headquarters is in London". "Our headquarters are being moved."
- Works: "The works is well known". "The works are open to the public."
Conclusion
The concept of "plural singular" is complex, generally referring to nouns that are singular in appearance but plural in meaning, or the reverse. While not a formal grammatical term, it highlights the discrepancies between a word's form and its grammatical behavior, requiring careful attention to ensure correct verb agreement.
