Nouns that exist only in the singular or plural form

In English, there are several nouns that exist only in the plural form. Except for a few, they all end in –s.

Examples are:

Amends (to make ‘amends’ for causing some loss)

Annals (pages of books of history)

Archives

Arms (weapons)

Arrears

Ashes (of a dead cremated body)

Auspices (patronage)

Bowels

Brains (intellect)

Contents

Customs (duty)

Earnings

Entrails

Fireworks

Funds (money)

Goods

Guts (bowels, courage)

Letters (in the expression ‘a man of letters’)

Looks (e.g. She has got attractive looks)

Manners (in the expression ‘good manners’)

Odds (in the expression ‘heavy odds’)

Outskirts

Pains (e.g. to take pains)

Premises (building)

Riches (wealth)

Stairs (e.g. a flight of stairs)

Surroundings (environment)

Thanks

Troops

Tropics

Valuables

Wages

Proceeds

Tidings

Nuptials

Alms

Drawers

The following are unmarked plurals which do not end in –s. 

Examples are:

 cattle and plural.

Some words ending in –s do not change in the plural.

 Examples are:

Barracks

Crossroads

Headquarters

Means

Series

Species

Works (= factory)

Swiss

Special cases

Some singular uncountable nouns end in –s. They have no plural forms.

 Examples are: news, billiards, draughts, measles etc.

Measles is highly contagious.

Most words ending in –ics are also usually singular uncountables and have no plurals. Examples are: mathematics, physics, athletics, politics.

Politics is a dirty game.

Mathematics isn’t the easiest of all subjects.

Other nouns which do not change in the plural are craft, sheep, fish and deer.

Countable nouns are the names of objects, people and places that can be counted. 

Examples are: flower, boy, apple, book, tree, room, house, window etc.

Countable nouns have singular and plural forms and can be used with indefinite articles (a / an) and numbers. Generally, a singular countable noun always takes an article or another determiner with it.

I saw a boy in the store. (BUT NOT I saw boy in store.)

The child was playing with his toy. (BUT NOT Child was playing with toy.)

A plural noun can be used with or without an article.

Children were playing in the park. (This style is preferred when you don’t expect the listener to know which children you are talking about.)

OR The children were playing in the park. (This style is preferred when you are talking about children who have already been mentioned.)

Uncountable nouns refer to objects or ideas that cannot be counted. Examples are: rice, sand, milk, honey, honesty, integrity etc.

Uncountable nouns cannot be used with numbers. It is also not possible to use the articles a / an with uncountable nouns.

Uncountable nouns are always singular and should be used with a singular verb.

Honesty is the best policy. (NOT Honesty are the best policy.)

Rice is the staple food of Indians. (NOT Rice are the staple food of Indians.)

Note that some nouns which are countable in one language can be uncountable in another language. For example, the word grapes is a plural countable noun in English. However, it is uncountable in many other languages.

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