The word “news” is a familiar part of everyday English, yet it often confuses both learners and native speakers when it comes to grammar. Is news singular or plural? Why does it end in -s if it is not plural? Such questions are common among students, teachers, editors, and writers alike.
Understanding the correct usage of “news” is essential for clear, accurate communication in academic, professional, and casual situations. Mistakes with “news” can make writing sound unnatural or incorrect, even for advanced learners.
In this comprehensive article, we’ll explore what “news” really means, its grammatical rules, how to use it correctly, common mistakes, advanced nuances, and practice exercises.
Whether you are an ESL/EFL student, a teacher, an editor, or simply someone striving for mastery of English grammar, this guide is designed to give you complete confidence in using “news” correctly and naturally.
Table of Contents
- 3. Definition Section
- 4. Structural Breakdown
- 5. Types or Categories
- 6. Examples Section
- 7. Usage Rules
- 8. Common Mistakes
- 9. Practice Exercises
- 10. Advanced Topics
- 11. FAQ Section
- 12. Conclusion
3. Definition Section
3.1 What is “News”?
The word news comes from the late Middle English word newes, meaning “new things” or “new information.” Originally, it referred to reports of recent events, and over time, it became a standard term for information about current events shared through conversation, print, and broadcast.
Modern dictionaries define “news” as follows:
| Dictionary | Definition | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford | Newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent events. | Uncountable, information, recent events |
| Merriam-Webster | A report of recent events; previously unknown information. | Uncountable, report, new facts |
| Cambridge | Information or reports about recent events. | Uncountable, reports, current affairs |
| Collins | Information about important or interesting recent events, especially when published or broadcast. | Uncountable, information, media |
3.2 Grammatical Classification
News is classified as a mass noun (also called an uncountable noun). This means it refers to a general idea or substance, not individual items you can count. Like “information” or “advice,” “news” does not have a plural form (*”newses” is incorrect).
Is “news” ever countable? In standard English, no. For a single item, we say “a piece of news,” not “a news.”
| Mass (Uncountable) Noun | Countable Noun | Example with “news” |
|---|---|---|
| News | Book | Some news / a piece of news |
| Advice | Chair | Some advice / a piece of advice |
| Information | Dog | Some information / a piece of information |
3.3 Function in Sentences
“News” functions as a noun and can serve as the subject, object, or complement in a sentence:
- Subject: The news is shocking.
- Object: I heard the news yesterday.
- Complement: This is the news.
“News” appears in both formal and informal contexts. In news reports or academic writing, it maintains its uncountable nature.
3.4 Usage Contexts
“News” is used in various contexts:
- Journalism: Breaking news: the president resigns.
- Conversation: Did you hear the news?
- Business: We received good news from the client.
- Academia: The study examines how news spreads online.
Common phrases: bad news travels fast, the latest news, evening news.
4. Structural Breakdown
4.1 Morphological Structure of “News”
The “-s” ending in “news” is not a plural marker. Historically, “news” is a singular noun derived from the adjective “new” plus a collective suffix, indicating “new things” or “new information.” It is similar to other English words ending in “-s” that are singular and uncountable.
| Word Ending in -s | Is it Plural? | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| News | No (uncountable) | The news is on at six o’clock. |
| Mathematics | No (uncountable) | Mathematics is a challenging subject. |
| Physics | No (uncountable) | Physics is fascinating. |
| Measles | No (singular disease) | Measles is a contagious illness. |
4.2 Singular vs. Plural Nouns: Comparison
Regular plural nouns in English are formed by adding “-s” or “-es”:
- Singular: dog, book, car
- Plural: dogs, books, cars
“News” does not follow this pattern.
| Singular | Plural | Is “news” like this? |
|---|---|---|
| Dog | Dogs | No |
| Book | Books | No |
| News | — | Always “news” (uncountable) |
4.3 Subject-Verb Agreement with “News”
News always takes a singular verb because it is treated as a singular, uncountable noun.
- Correct: The news is surprising.
- Incorrect: The news are surprising.
| Subject | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The news | is | The news is encouraging. |
| The results | are | The results are encouraging. |
| The news | has | The news has shocked everyone. |
| The findings | have | The findings have shocked everyone. |
4.4 Articles and Determiners with “News”
Correct usage: “the news”, “some news”, “no news”, “this news”, “that news”
Incorrect usage: “a news”, “these news”, “those news”, “many news”
| Correct Usage | Incorrect Usage | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the news | a news | I heard the news yesterday. |
| some news | these news | She gave me some news. |
| no news | those news | There’s no news yet. |
5. Types or Categories
5.1 Types of “News” in Usage
In journalism, “news” can be classified as hard news (serious, important events) or soft news (entertainment, human interest). Grammatically, both are uncountable.
- The news on TV is mostly hard news tonight.
- I have some good news and some bad news.
“News” may also refer to the field (“She works in news”) or a report or event (“That was the biggest news of the year”).
5.2 Variations in Other Languages
In some languages, “news” is grammatically plural. For example, French uses “les nouvelles” (plural), while English uses “news” (uncountable, singular).
| Language | Translation | Singular/Plural |
|---|---|---|
| French | les nouvelles | Plural |
| Spanish | las noticias | Plural |
| German | die Nachrichten | Plural |
| English | news | Uncountable (singular) |
5.3 Related Words: “New”, “Newses”, “A News”
“New” is an adjective meaning “not old.” It is not a noun and cannot be used like “news.”
“Newses” and “a news” are incorrect in standard English. For a single item, use “a piece of news.”
In creative or poetic contexts, you may rarely see “newses” or “a news,” but these are marked as playful or unusual:
- Incorrect: I have a news for you.
- Correct: I have some news for you.
- Creative (rare): The poet spoke of many newses from the world. (Not standard)
6. Examples Section
6.1 Basic Examples
Here are ten simple sentences showing “news” as subject, object, or complement:
| # | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | The news is on at 6 p.m. |
| 2 | I received some exciting news. |
| 3 | That was bad news. |
| 4 | No news is good news. |
| 5 | She brought the news to the office. |
| 6 | The news surprised everyone. |
| 7 | Do you have any news for me? |
| 8 | This is the news I wanted to hear. |
| 9 | We watched the news together. |
| 10 | He told me some interesting news. |
6.2 Complex Sentences
Here are ten complex sentences using “news” in various clauses:
| # | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | If the news is true, we will celebrate tomorrow. |
| 2 | She smiled when she heard the news that her friend had recovered. |
| 3 | Although the news was disappointing, he tried to stay positive. |
| 4 | He asked if there was any news from the hospital. |
| 5 | The news, which arrived late, shocked the entire community. |
| 6 | I will call you as soon as I get any news. |
| 7 | Unless the news improves, the team will not continue. |
| 8 | She wondered what the news would be about. |
| 9 | If there is no news by noon, we will leave. |
| 10 | He told me the news that he had been promoted. |
6.3 “News” in Idiomatic Expressions
Ten sentences featuring idioms and set phrases with “news”:
| # | Idiom or Set Phrase | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No news is good news | No news is good news, so I’m not worried. |
| 2 | Break the news | How will you break the news to your parents? |
| 3 | Spread the news | He was the first to spread the news of the discovery. |
| 4 | Make headlines | The story made news headlines worldwide. |
| 5 | Front-page news | The victory was front-page news. |
| 6 | Old news | That’s old news now; everyone knows. |
| 7 | Good news travels fast | Good news travels fast in a small town. |
| 8 | Bad news travels fast | Unfortunately, bad news travels fast. |
| 9 | Be in the news | She has been in the news recently. |
| 10 | Breaking news | We interrupt this program for breaking news. |
6.4 Common Collocations with “News”
“News” often appears with certain adjectives and verbs. Here are some common collocations:
| Collocation | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| good news | Positive information | I have some good news for you. |
| bad news | Negative information | That was bad news for the team. |
| latest news | Most recent information | Here is the latest news. |
| breaking news | Very recent and important news | Breaking news: the storm has arrived. |
| shocking news | Surprising and disturbing information | It was shocking news to everyone. |
| announce news | To make news known | The company will announce the news today. |
| hear news | Receive information | Did you hear the news? |
| spread news | Share news with others | The villagers quickly spread the news. |
| report news | Present news as a journalist | They report the news every morning. |
| cover news | Report on events | The channel covers news from around the world. |
| share news | Tell news to others | I want to share the news with my family. |
| deliver news | Bring information to someone | The doctor must deliver the news carefully. |
| await news | Wait for information | They await news from the search team. |
| bring news | Come with information | The messenger brought the news swiftly. |
| receive news | Get information | She received news of her acceptance. |
6.5 “News” in Questions and Negatives
Examples of “news” in questions:
- Is there any news?
- Did you hear the news?
- What is the news today?
- Has there been any news from the team?
- Can you give me some news?
Examples in negatives:
- There is no news yet.
- I haven’t received any news.
- We don’t have news about the results.
- She hasn’t heard the news.
- No news is good news.
| Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Question | Is there any news from home? |
| Negative | We have not received news yet. |
6.6 “News” in Formal vs. Informal English
| Formal Example | Informal Example |
|---|---|
| The news is being reported by all major outlets. | Did you hear the news? |
| There is no news regarding your application at this time. | No news yet, sorry! |
| The latest news concerns international affairs. | What’s the news? |
| The news was broadcast at seven o’clock. | They put the news on TV. |
| We await further news from the authorities. | Still waiting for news! |
7. Usage Rules
7.1 General Usage Rule: “News” as a Singular Uncountable Noun
Rule: News is always treated as a singular, uncountable noun. It takes singular verbs and does not have a plural form.
- The news is on at six.
- There is some news for you.
7.2 Subject-Verb Agreement Details
“News” always requires a singular verb.
| Correct Form | Incorrect Form |
|---|---|
| The news is exciting. | The news are exciting. |
| The news has improved. | The news have improved. |
7.3 Quantifying “News”
Use quantifiers suitable for uncountable nouns: “some,” “much,” “a piece of,” “a bit of,” “a lot of,” “little,” “any.”
| Quantifier + “News” | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| some news | I have some news to share. |
| much news | There isn’t much news today. |
| a piece of news | That was a surprising piece of news. |
| a bit of news | Let me give you a bit of news. |
| a lot of news | We received a lot of news this week. |
| little news | There is little news from the front. |
| any news | Is there any news? |
7.4 Modifiers and Adjectives with “News”
Common adjectives include: bad, good, latest, breaking, big, shocking, wonderful, terrible, unexpected, recent.
- That was unexpected news.
- We have breaking news.
- I received wonderful news!
7.5 Exceptions and Edge Cases
In rare, playful, or creative contexts, writers may use “newses” or treat “news” as countable (e.g., “the daily newses”), but these are not standard and should be avoided in academic or formal writing.
- Playful: All the newses that fit to print. (humorous)
8. Common Mistakes
8.1 Treating “News” as a Plural Noun
- Incorrect: The news are good.
- Correct: The news is good.
8.2 Using “A News” or “Newses”
- Incorrect: I have a news for you.
- Correct: I have some news for you.
- Incorrect: There are many newses.
- Correct: There is a lot of news.
8.3 Wrong Quantifiers
- Incorrect: Many news, few news
- Correct: Much news, little news
8.4 Incorrect Articles or Demonstratives
- Incorrect: These news, those news
- Correct: This news, that news
8.5 Summary Table: Common Mistakes and Corrections
| Mistake | Correction |
|---|---|
| The news are good. | The news is good. |
| I have a news for you. | I have some news for you. |
| Many news were reported. | Much news was reported. |
| These news are sad. | This news is sad. |
| There are several newses. | There is a lot of news. |
8.6 Explanations for Why These Mistakes Occur
Many learners make mistakes with “news” because their native language treats “news” as plural or because they see the “-s” ending, which usually signals plural in English. Others try to use “news” like other countable nouns.
To avoid these mistakes, remember that “news” is always uncountable and singular, just like “advice” or “information.”
9. Practice Exercises
9.1 Fill-in-the-Blank (10 items)
| # | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | The ______ is on at 9 p.m. |
| 2 | I have some ______ for you. |
| 3 | There ______ (be) no news from the team. |
| 4 | That ______ (be) wonderful news! |
| 5 | Do you have ______ news? |
| 6 | This ______ (be) the news I wanted. |
| 7 | There isn’t ______ news today. |
| 8 | She received a piece ______ news. |
| 9 | Is there ______ news about the results? |
| 10 | No news ______ (be) good news. |
9.2 Error Correction (10 items)
| # | Incorrect Sentence | Your Correction |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The news are shocking. | |
| 2 | I heard a news yesterday. | |
| 3 | There are many news about the event. | |
| 4 | Those news are old. | |
| 5 | She told me several newses. | |
| 6 | These news are important. | |
| 7 | Few news was good. | |
| 8 | He has a good news for us. | |
| 9 | The news have arrived. | |
| 10 | Is there many news today? |
9.3 Multiple Choice (10 items)
| # | Question | Options |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The news _____ surprising. | a) are b) is c) be |
| 2 | There isn’t _____ news today. | a) many b) much c) few |
| 3 | She brought _____ news to the office. | a) some b) a c) several |
| 4 | That was a surprising _____ of news. | a) piece b) pieces c) newses |
| 5 | _____ news is good news. | a) No b) None c) Not |
| 6 | This news _____ important. | a) is b) are c) have |
| 7 | We haven’t received _____ news yet. | a) any b) a c) these |
| 8 | There _____ some news for you. | a) is b) are c) am |
| 9 | _____ news has arrived. | a) The b) A c) These |
| 10 | Do you have _____ exciting news? | a) any b) a c) those |
9.4 Identification Exercise
Identify whether each noun is singular (S) or plural (P).
| # | Noun | S or P? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | news | |
| 2 | books | |
| 3 | mathematics | |
| 4 | glasses | |
| 5 | advice | |
| 6 | trousers | |
| 7 | information | |
| 8 | results | |
| 9 | physics | |
| 10 | dogs |
9.5 Sentence Construction (5 items)
Write a sentence using “news” correctly with each of the following words:
- shocking
- receive
- latest
- spread
- good
9.6 Practice Exercise Answer Keys
Fill-in-the-Blank Answers:
- news
- news
- is
- is
- any
- is
- much
- of
- any
- is
Error Correction Answers:
- The news is shocking.
- I heard some news yesterday.
- There is much news about the event.
- That news is old.
- She told me some news.
- This news is important.
- Little news was good.
- He has good news for us.
- The news has arrived.
- Is there much news today?
Multiple Choice Answers:
- b) is
- b) much
- a) some
- a) piece
- a) No
- a) is
- a) any
- a) is
- a) The
- a) any
Identification Exercise Answers:
- S
- P
- S
- P
- S
- P
- S
- P
- S
- P
Sample Sentences for Sentence Construction:
- That was shocking news.
- Did you receive any news?
- The latest news is about the election.
- They spread the news quickly.
- She always brings good news.
10. Advanced Topics
10.1 Corpus Analysis: “News” in Authentic English
Corpus data shows that “news” overwhelmingly appears with singular verbs and as an uncountable noun.
| Example (from COCA/BNC) | Source |
|---|---|
| The news is reported every hour. | COCA, spoken |
| We receive news from all over the world. | BNC, written |
| There is no news yet. | COCA, newspaper |
10.2 “News” in Compound Words and Phrases
- Newsroom: The place where news is produced.
- Newsworthy: Worthy of being reported as news.
- Newscaster: A person who presents news on television or radio.
- Newsfeed: A continuous stream of news updates.
Examples:
- The newsroom was busy all night.
- That story is very newsworthy.
- The newscaster spoke clearly.
- I checked my newsfeed this morning.
10.3 Register and Style Variations
In journalism, news is concise and objective: “The news is just coming in.” In academic writing: “The research examines how news is disseminated.” In literature, creative variations may appear, but standard grammar is preferred in most writing.
10.4 Comparative Linguistics
| Language | “News” Form | Grammatical Number | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | news | Uncountable/Singular | The news is on. |
| French | les nouvelles | Plural | Les nouvelles sont bonnes. |
| Spanish | las noticias | Plural | Las noticias son interesantes. |
| German | die Nachrichten | Plural | Die Nachrichten sind aktuell. |
10.5 Historical Changes in Usage
In Early Modern English, “news” was sometimes treated as plural: “These news are strange.” Today, the singular verb is standard.
- Shakespeare (Hamlet): “What news, Horatio?”
- Old usage: “These news are come to town.”
10.6 Creative and Poetic Uses of “News” as Plural
Poets or playful writers may use “newses” or treat “news” as plural for stylistic effect. These uses are rare and signal creativity, not standard grammar.
- Humorous: “All the newses fit to print.”
- Poetic: “The newses of the world weighed heavy on my mind.”
Caution: Avoid these forms in formal, academic, or professional writing.
11. FAQ Section
-
Is “news” singular or plural in English?
News is singular and uncountable in modern English. It always takes a singular verb: “The news is good.” -
Why does “news” end in -s if it is singular?
The “-s” in “news” is not a plural ending. It comes from an old collective form meaning “new things” or “new information.” -
Can we ever say “a news” or “newses”?
No, these forms are incorrect in standard English. For one item, say “a piece of news” or “some news.” -
What verb form should follow “news”?
Always use a singular verb: “The news is,” “There is news,” “News has arrived.” -
How do we talk about one item of news?
Use “a piece of news” or “some news.” Example: “I have a piece of news for you.” -
What quantifiers can be used with “news”?
Use “some,” “much,” “a lot of,” “little,” “any,” and similar quantifiers for uncountable nouns. -
Why do some languages use “news” as a plural?
Languages like French and Spanish treat “news” as plural (“les nouvelles,” “las noticias”). English, however, uses “news” as an uncountable noun. -
What are common mistakes with “news”?
Using plural verbs (“The news are…”), using “a news” or “newses,” or using wrong quantifiers (“many news”). -
How can I remember to use “news” correctly?
Associate “news” with other uncountable nouns like “advice” or “information” — always singular, never “a” or plural forms. -
Are there any exceptions where “news” is plural?
Only in rare, playful, or poetic writing. In standard modern English, “news” is always singular and uncountable. -
How do I use “news” in questions or negatives?
Use “any,” “some,” or “no”: “Is there any news?” “There is no news.” -
Is “news” ever countable in English?
No. Instead, say “a piece of news” for one item, but never “a news” or “newses.”
12. Conclusion
To summarize, news is a singular, uncountable noun in English, despite its “-s” ending. It always takes singular verbs and cannot be used with “a,” “these,” or plural forms like “newses.” Understanding the correct use of “news” is essential for clear and accurate English, whether in writing or speaking.
Avoiding common mistakes and practicing with the examples and exercises above will improve your confidence and accuracy. Mastering this small but tricky word will help you sound natural and professional in English.
If you have further questions, review the FAQ or leave a comment for more clarification. Keep practicing — good news awaits!