Plural nouns in English
Nouns used in their plural forms
In English there are nouns that are used only in the plural.
1. Pair nouns
Noun | Sentence |
---|---|
jeans | Where are my jeans? |
glasses | She has lost her glasses. |
scissors | These scissors don't cut well. |
If you want to refer to an exact number, use a/one pair of, like in the following example.
- I have bought a pair of jeans.
- I have bought two pairs of jeans.
There are more nouns: binoculars, headphones, pyjamas, scales, shorts, tights, trousers.
2. Nouns not used in the singular (headwords)
Noun | Sentence |
---|---|
cattle | Male cattle are called bulls. |
clothes | He bought some new clothes yesterday. |
stairs | The children ran down the stairs. |
wages | The wages are paid on the last day of the month. |
people * | Three people were killed in the car crash last Friday evening. |
police | Look! The police are coming. |
* The word people can be used in the singular with another meaning:
- They are a friendly people.
- The native peoples of Africa often have black skins.
3. Nationalities
The following nationalities (no -s) are used in the plural:
- the Dutch
- the British
- the English
- the French
- the Spanish
- the Welsh
The singular of the English would be the Englishman.