Study materials
In each of these sentences the verb is surprising if you look only at the ending of the noun.
The news is good.
News is singular, though it ends in -s.
The police have arrived.
Police is plural, though it has no -s.
These criteria are essential.
Criteria is already plural.
Such words have to be learned one by one, because the ending does not help. This article explains singular words in -s, plural words without -s, collective nouns such as team and staff, and words with a Latin or Greek plural.
Words in -s that are singular, and plural words without -s
Some words end in -s but are singular.
| What it is | Example |
|---|---|
| news | The news is good. |
| subjects in -ics | Physics is hard. Economics is my favourite subject. |
| names of countries and works | The United States is large. Great Expectations is a novel. |
The other way round, a few words without -s are plural: people, police, cattle. The people are friendly. The police have arrived.
Collective nouns
A collective noun names a group of people with one word: team, staff, government, committee, family. It allows either form, and the choice carries meaning. The singular presents the group as a whole, the plural as separate people.
The team is the strongest in the league.
The team as a whole.
The team are arguing about the schedule.
The people in it, each with a view.
British English uses the plural more often, American English the singular. Police and people are always plural: The police are here. A later pronoun must match the chosen form: The committee has published its decision, but The committee are divided in their views.
Words with Latin plurals
A few terms keep an old Latin or Greek plural.
| Singular | Plural | How it behaves |
|---|---|---|
| datum | data | plural in science, often singular in everyday use |
| criterion | criteria | criteria is always plural |
| phenomenon | phenomena | phenomena is always plural |
| series, species, means | series, species, means | one form, number from context |
This criterion is essential. These criteria are essential.
Criterias does not exist.
A series of tests was carried out.
One series.
These means of transport are cheap.
Several means.
In academic writing The data show is usual, while in conversation The data is ready is perfectly natural too.
Common mistakes
The first mistake is a plural for news.
The news are good. → The news is good.
News is singular.
The second mistake is a singular verb with police.
The police is looking for the driver. → The police are looking for the driver.
Police is always plural.
The third mistake is a singular for criteria.
This criteria is essential. → This criterion is essential.
Criteria is already plural.
The first mistake shows in the word news itself. It is always singular, so is. The second shows in police. It is always plural, so are or have. The third shows in the determiner before criteria. Criteria is already plural, so these, and the singular is criterion.