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.
