Works

[maonshancsho]

When I use the word "works" for meaning of construction project, should I treat it as singular or plural?

e.g. "The demolition works were completed" or "The demolition works was completed"?

[2006]

When I use the word "works" for meaning of construction project, should I treat it as singular or plural?

e.g. "The demolition works were completed" or "The demolition works was completed"?

Welcome!

The demolition work was completed.
The demolition (projects)(jobs) were completed.

"works" is not used as a countable noun when referring to a construction project.

[maonshancsho]

Welcome!

The demolition work was completed.
The demolition (projects)(jobs) were completed.

"works" is not used as a countable noun when referring to a construction project.

Sorry, I get confused.

You said "works" is not used as countable nour when referring to a coonstruction project.

Is this means we need to say "The domlition works was completed"?
But you typed "the domition work was completed"?

[David L.]

The men did some work; they worked knocking down a building, demolishing a building - they did some demolition work.

The demolition work was completed.
The demolition project was completed.
The demolition job was completed.

[maonshancsho]

Thank you for both of your advices.

I understand that I can use "project", "job" to replace the word "works". I would like to ask if I have no choice but need to use the term "demolition works" for the meaning of "demolition project", is it grammatical correct to say:

The demolition works was completed.

[Clark]

Normally the word 'work' is uncountable.
e.g. This is hard work.

It can become countable when:

1. It means 'a work of art'.
e.g. Agatha Christie's works.

2.'Works' has the same form for the singular and the plural when it means 'factory'.
The works is (=factory) closed today.
The works are (=factories) closed today.

A similar word is 'barracks'.

3. It means technologically different types of work.
e.g. The roadworks have been completed.

With demolition, maybe it's hard to imagine this action as a set of different types of technological processes.