As a linguistic expert with a profound understanding of the English language, I'm delighted to delve into the intricacies of the term "news." The word "news" is indeed a fascinating subject for discussion, particularly in the context of its grammatical number.

In English, the word "news" is often considered a plurale tantum, which means it is always plural in form but is treated as a singular concept. This is similar to other mass nouns such as "information," "baggage," or "equipment," which are uncountable and do not have a plural form. However, the usage of "news" can be nuanced and is subject to regional and contextual variations.

The phrase "What are the news?" might be commonly used in some English-speaking regions, especially where the influence of other languages might lead to a different interpretation of the word's grammatical structure. However, in standard English, this phrase is indeed incorrect. The correct form is "What is the news?" because "news" is an uncountable noun and should be treated as singular.

The confusion might arise from the fact that "news" is derived from the plural form "new," but over time, it has evolved to represent a collective idea or concept, much like how "furniture" is a collective noun for various items that make up the category.

Moreover, the phrase "And of course you can begin anew, but that simply means 'start again'" is an interesting point. The word "anew" is an adverb that means "once more" or "in a new way." It does not have a direct connection to the noun "news," but it does illustrate the fluidity of language and how words can change their grammatical roles.

In conclusion, while "news" may appear plural, it is primarily used as a singular noun in English. It represents a collective idea, much like other mass nouns, and should be treated as such in standard English grammar.

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And of course you can begin anew, but that simply means "start again". I think the form "What are the news?" is wrong; even though the the word 'news' is plural, it is more of a mass noun (or non-countable noun) than a countable noun (like gold is a mass noun).read more >>