Nouns which are used in singular form:-
A. Uncountable nouns are used in singular form.
Neither a/an is used before them nor their plural is formed.
eg:- scenery, poetry, furniture, advice, information, hair, business, mischief, bread, stationery, crockery, luggage, baggage, knowledge, equipment, evidence, jewelry, paper, fish, news, work etc.
-The sceneries of Kashmir is very beautiful. (incorrect)
-The scenery of Kashmir is very beautiful. (correct)
B. There are some plural forms of noun which are actually singular.
eg:- Innings, Mathematics, Physics, Ethics, Economics, Summons, Mumps, Measles, Billiards, News, Politics etc.
-Economics are an interesting subject. (incorrect)
-Economics is an interesting subject. (correct)
Note: If plural looking subjects are particularized or possessed, they become plural Nouns.
-My Economics are strong. (possessed) (use of 'are' not 'is' as noun is plural in form)
-The politics of our State are dirty. (Particularized) (use of 'are' not 'is' as noun is plural in form)
both sentences are correct.
C. Nouns expressing number like dozen, score, hundred, thousand, pair, gross, metre, million, billion etc. are used in singular form with numerical adjective.
eg:- He bought three dozen oranges.
Note: If Nouns expressing number like dozen, score, hundred, thousand, million etc. is used with indefinite countable Nouns, it can be pluralized.
eg:- Dozens of man, Hundreds of people etc.
-Hundreds of people came to see the dance performance.
D. If same Noun is used both before and after a Preposition, it is always used in singular in form.
eg:- Town after town, man after man, row upon row (correct), Towns after towns, men after men, rows upon rows (incorrect).
-Speakers after speakers came on the stage to perform. (incorrect)
-Speaker after speaker came on the stage to perform. (correct)
E. Hyphenated Noun is always used in singular form.
-She gave me five hundred-rupees note.
-She gave me five hundred-rupee note.
Nouns which are used in Plural form:-
A. There are some Nouns which seem to be singular but are used in plural form.
Eg:- cattle, police, gentry, people, peasantry, poultry, infantry, children etc.
-Police has arrested the thieves. (Incorrect)
-Police have arrested the thieves. (Correct)
-Cattle are grazing in field. (Correct)
B. Some Nouns like scissors, trousers, binoculars, pants, measles, towns, alms, fireworks, surroundings, troops, wages, achieves etc. are always used in plural form. We do not remove‘s’ to make it singular.
-My scissor is very sharp. (Incorrect)
-My scissors are very sharp. (Correct)
-Alms are given to the beggars. (Correct)
C. After One of, Neither of, Either of, Each of a plural noun is used.
Neither of girls, One of our first conversations. etc.
Noun used both as Singular & Plural in same form
A. Collective Nouns like jury, public, crew, team, committee, government, audience, congregation etc. are used as singular and plural in same form.
-The committee is unanimous on this issue. (Correct, as committee is acting as single unit)
-The committee are divided and there is bitterness among the members. (Correct, as committee is divided)
B. Nouns Fish, Deer, Sheep, Wages, Species, Series, Aircraft etc. are used as singular and plural in same form.
Compound Noun: A compound noun contains two or more words which join together to make a single noun like women-servants, Brother-in-law, Passers-by etc.
- The plural of Compound nouns are formed by forming plural of the principal word.
All his sisters-in law are married and settled in U.K.
Exception:
Plural formation is done in both the parts of the compound nouns of man and woman.
- None of the woman-servants was present yesterday. (correct)
- The majority of the women teachers. (correct)