LoginPlural-Only Nouns
Dive into plural-only nouns with detailed explanations. Examples include 'headphones' and 'binoculars', plus a quiz to test your knowledge.
What Are 'Plural-Only Nouns'?
Plural-Only Nouns (also called Plurale Tantum/plʊəˈreɪlɪ ˈtæntəm/ or lexical plurals) refer to those nouns in English which almost always appear in the plural form and normally do not have a singular form.
Plural-only Nouns in English
In English, a plural-only noun is a word that refers to objects that function as pairs or sets. We can classify these words as follows:
Outer Garments: jeans, trousers, pants, bell bottoms
Undergarments: panties, shorts, trunks, tights
Eyewear: glasses, sunglasses, binoculars, goggles
Tools: pliers, scissors, tweezers, headphones
Money: funds, alms, valuables, earnings
Problems: blues, condolences, creeps, shenanigans,
Outdoors: woods, outskirts, surroundings
Food-related items: breadcrumbs, leftovers, dregs
Sports: darts, billiards, aerobics, gymnastics
Celebrations: congratulations, thanks, nuptials, tidings
Miscellaneous: looks, manners, optics, bygones, arms, annals
Warning!
Plural-only nouns are not normally used in the singular form. So, it is considered nonstandard to use 'a pant' or 'a scissor' as singular nouns.
Plural-Only Nouns as Noun Modifiers
In English, the singular form of some plural-only nouns are used as a noun modifier, for example:
trouser pocket
scissor kick
spectacle case
shoe lace
On the other hand, some plural-only nouns are used in the plural form even as attributive nouns, such as:
clothes peg
glasses case
arms race
jeans maker
Plural-Only Vs. Countable Nouns
You might encounter some words in English that are used in both plural-only and countable forms. Remember that these words have different meanings depending on whether they are used as plural-only nouns or as countable nouns. For example:
She lifted both arms to catch the ball.
Here, "arms" refers to the two physical limbs, which can be counted.
The country invested heavily in arms and military technology.
Here, "arms" refers to weapons in general and is always plural—we don't say "an arm" for a single weapon.
There were many glasses of red wine on the table.
Here, the word 'glasses' refers to containers that are filled with red wine.
He used to wear glasses.
In this example, the word 'glasses' refers to an object that somebody wears to enhance their sight.
How to Count Plural-only Nouns
Since plural-only nouns do not have singular forms, instead of directly using numbers before them, we typically use some modifying phrases to quantify them:
A pair of/Pairs of
A set of/Sets of
Wear a pair of black tights with that dress. It's more classy.
You can't say "a black tight" or "a black tights" since "tights" is always plural and "a" is used with singular nouns.
She owns several sets of pajamas, each in a different color.
Pronoun and Verb Agreement
Using singular pronouns or singular verbs with plural-only noun is not grammatically acceptable. Instead, we should use plural pronouns and plural verbs, even if only one pair is being referred to.
I bought a pair of shoes. Look at them! Aren't they gorgeous?
Plural-looking Singular Nouns
There are some nouns in English that are always used with an "-s" at the end which makes them look like plural-only nouns. However, they do not refer to things that are always in pairs or sets, they take singular verbs and singular pronouns, and refer to singular concepts (often abstract or uncountable). For example:
Subjects of study: mathematics, physics, economics, politics, linguistics
Diseases: diabetes, measles, mumps
Sports and games: checkers, billiards, gymnastics, aerobics
Miscellaneous: news, crossroads, headquarters, means
Singular-only Nouns
The opposite of a plural-only noun is a singular-only noun. It refers to a noun that appears only in the singular form, such as information, dust, and wealth. Most uncountable nouns cannot be pluralized.
We can classify singular-only nouns in three groups:
mass nouns, such as water and air;
abstract nouns, such as anger and hatred;
collective nouns, such as staff and police.
Review
In English, a 'plural-only noun' is often a word that designates objects that function as pairs or sets.
Here are the most common plural-only noun:
outer garments | trousers, jeans |
|---|---|
undergarments | tights, trunks |
accessories | eyeglasses, sunglasses |
tools | tweezers, shears |
The opposite of a 'plural-only noun' is a 'singular-only noun'. It refers to a noun that appears only in singular form.
Here are the most common singular-only nouns:
mass nouns | water, air |
|---|---|
abstract nouns | anger, hatred |
collective nouns | staff, police |
Quiz:
Match each plural-only noun with its correct category.
Which sentence uses a plural-only noun correctly?
She bought new glasses for her kitchen.
He wore a glass to read the small print.
The museum displayed ancient arms from the 14th century.
The boxer injured his arms during training.
Which sentence correctly uses a plural-only noun?
She bought a new jean at the mall yesterday.
The scissors is on the table next to the papers.
I need to buy a pair of goggles for swimming.
He found a single binocular in the drawer.
Fill the blanks by choosing the correct form of the plural-only noun or the verb and pronoun that agrees with it..
I need a new
(trouser/trousers) pocket sewn.
They're studying the
(arm/arms) race during the Cold War.
She owns three
(pair/pairs) of pajamas.
My new pants
(is/are) too long.
She bought a pair of goggles, and
(it/they) fogged up instantly.
Select all plural-only nouns from the list. (Select five.)
pliers
glasses
physics
measles
headquarters
earnings
gymnastics
thanks
news
outskirts
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