Is "arts" (a subject in schools) a singular noun?
When used as subject, is the word arts considered a singular noun or a plural one?
- Art is my favorite class at school this term.
- Arts is? my favorite class at school this term.
Why can’t we just say we’re taking or studying art in school? Why do we ever say arts as though it were plural but then use a singular verb anyway?
Does the answer vary by locality, such as in the United Kindom or Ireland, Australia or New Zealand, the United States or Canada, India or Singapore, or South Africa?
In a comment John Lawler wrote:
Subjects in educational systems have local names with local grammars. In the USA, mathematics is singular, and so is its abbreviation, math; *maths does not occur in American English. Arts is another frequent word in names, as is Art, which is always singular. Arts, however, can swing either way -- if it's part of a name it can be either singular or plural: The Art School; College of Arts and Sciences; Arts, Science, and Technology, etc.
Generally speaking:
The ideas below:
"Art is my favorite class at school this term.
Arts is? my favorite class at school this term." [not a standard expression]
work like this:
If you study art in school, you will most likely be doing painting and drawing (sketching) and maybe some sculpture. You might also study art in the sense of art history. And take a course in the history of art: Introduction to Art History
The arts are what interest me. [as opposed to the sciences] As in fine arts, theater, film.
The use of the plural is used in many formal titles: Bachelor in Fine Arts The School of Fine Arts