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.
Some nouns end in -ics 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
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').
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')
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.
EXERCISES
78.1 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.
78.2 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---
78.3 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.
78.4 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.
78.1
3 shorts
4 a means
5 means
6 some scissors or a pair of scissors
7 a series
8 series
9 species
78.2
2 politics 3 economics
4 athletics 5 physics
6 gymnastics 7 electronics
78.3
2 don't 3 want
4 was 5 aren't
6 wasn't 7 does or do
8 isn't 9 they are
10 are 11 Do 12 is
78.4
2. wearing black jeans
3 right (is playing is also correct)
4 nice people
5 Ten pounds is not enough.
6 some new pyjamas or a new pair of pyjamas
7 right (hasn't is also correct)
8 Many people have
9 a policeman/a policewoman/a polce officer
10 Have the police
11 These scissors aren't
