Words ending in ics
Some nouns have a plural form (with s) but take a singular verb.
The news was worse than I had expected, NOT The news were ...
Economics is a difficult subject, NOT Economics are ...
NOUNS TAKING A SINGULAR VERB
The word news
The subjects economics, mathematics/maths, physics, politics and statistics
The activities athletics and gymnastics
The games billiards and darts
The illness measles