Subjects and diseases
Some names of subjects and diseases, which appear to be plural because they end in ‑s, are normally used as singular. These include:
| acoustics |
| aeronautics |
| dynamics |
| economics |
| electronics |
| ergonomics |
| ethics |
| forensics |
| genetics |
| hydraulics |
| linguistics |
| mathematics |
| obstetrics |
| optics |
| paediatrics GB or pediatrics US |
| phonetics |
| physics |
| politics |
| robotics |
| semantics |
| semiotics |
| statistics |
| tectonics |
And
| diabetes |
| measles |
| mumps |
| rabies |
| rickets |
| scabies |
| shingles |
Also
| news |
Examples
Economics is taught at many universities.
Linguistics is the study of language.
Obstetrics is a branch of medicine.
Politics is a dirty business.
Diabetes is a growing problem.
The news about Dolly was a great surprise.
Exceptions
There are some exceptions when the word denotes not the name but rather the application of the subject. It may then be used as plural, for example:
Good acoustics are important.
Economics dictate many aspects of our lives.
His politics are well known.
These statistics are unreliable.
And a form without ‑s can occur in some words:
A strong work ethic
One statistic worth noting is that …
A common tactic