MAKING SUBJECTS AND VERBS AGREE WITH SPECIAL NOUNS
PART III: SVA with Special Nouns
• Nouns that look plural but have singular meaning ExamplesThese nouns look plural but are always singular:
• news, measles, mumps, diabetes, billiards, the Philippines, the United Nations, the United States
• Nouns ending in -ics such as mathematics and physics Examples[Scroll through the entire window]
Words like economics, ethics, physics, statistics, and politics take singular verbs when they refer to a field of study or are being used in a general sense without a definite article:
• Economics is often called the dismal science.
• Politics is supposed to be a noble profession but is too often defamed by dishonest, ambitious people.
However, many words ending in -ics take plural verbs when they are used with the definite article or when they refer to individual actions or practices.
• The politics of Iraq are difficult to sort out.
• The small business owner's ethics were questioned when several pre-paid orders were not fulfilled.
Words like antics, basics, graphics, histrionics, hysterics, and tactics are always plural.
Athletics (a plural noun) is sometimes used with a singular verb.
Athletics provides opportunities for youth to develop physical and social skills.
In other contexts, the meaning requires a plural verb.
College athletics include team sports and individual sports for men and women.
• Nouns with identical singular and plural forms and plural nouns with no singular counterpart Examples• Some names of animals such as deer, shrimp, sheep, and (sometimes) fish have the same spelling for their singular and plural forms.
A sheep is grazing in the pasture.
Several sheep are grazing in the pasture.
• Some nouns like scissors, pants, trousers, jeans, glasses have no singular counterpart and are always used with plural verbs.
Jean's glasses are broken. She can't see a thing.
Bill's trousers don't match his suit coat.
• Frequently used nouns that have Latin or Greek origin ExamplesNouns with Latin or Greek origin have different singular and plural forms.
| Singular | Plural | phenomenon | phenomena | datum | data | consortium | consortia | medium | media | alumnus | alumni | criterion | criteria | stimulus | stimuli | nucleus | nuclei | focus | foci | bacterium | bacteria |
After reviewing the examples above, select the verb that agrees with the subject in each sentence below.
The New York Times, November 21, 2006
However, common usage treats data as a mass noun followed by a singular verb. (There is scant little data on the educational results of homeschooling. NYT, November 26, 2006)