Question 1

Is the word "news" singular or plural?

Accepted Answer

"News" is always singular despite ending in -s. Say "The news is good" — never "The news are good." This is because "news" is an uncountable noun in English: you cannot say "one news" or "two newses." To count individual items of news, use "a piece of news" or "a news story": "There are three pieces of news today" (plural "pieces"). Other words that look plural but are singular include "series" ("The series is excellent"), "species" ("This species is endangered"), and subject names ending in -ics like "mathematics is" and "physics is." These are among the most commonly tested tricky nouns in B2 examinations.

Question 2

Why do words like "scissors" and "trousers" always take plural verbs?

Accepted Answer

Words like "scissors," "trousers," "glasses," "jeans," and "shorts" are always plural because they describe objects with two matching parts — two blades, two legs, two lenses. English treats these as inherently plural, so you must say "The trousers are too long," never "The trousers is." You cannot use "a" or "one" directly with these nouns. To talk about one item, use "a pair of": "A pair of scissors is on the table" — here the subject is "pair" (singular). "Two pairs of trousers are in the wardrobe" — "pairs" is plural. The "pair of" structure is important for exams because it changes the agreement back to singular.

Question 3

How do I know if a noun ending in -s is singular or plural?

Accepted Answer

There is no single rule — you need to learn the main categories. Academic subjects ending in -ics are singular when they mean the field of study: "Mathematics is hard," "Physics is interesting." But some -ics words can be plural when they mean real-world examples: "The statistics show a pattern" (data), "Her politics have changed" (beliefs). Always-singular nouns include "news," "series," and "species." Always-plural nouns include two-part objects (scissors, trousers, glasses) and group nouns like "police" and "people." If you are unsure, check whether the noun can follow "a" — if it cannot ("a news" sounds wrong), it is likely uncountable and singular.

Tricky Nouns Exercises

Quick Rule

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Conditionals

Present Perfect

Reported Speech

Passive Voice

Past Simple

Present Simple