There are rather over a gross of instances of the word “good” in The Hobbit, but for now we will focus on just one form, “goods”. OED tells us that “good” as
III. A particular thing that is good or beneficial.
is rare in the singular, and that the usual use is in the plural form with a plural verb – “goods are” – although with a singular verb, as a collective noun, is acceptable although rare – “goods is”.
In fact the entire entry for “Good” is absolutely fascinating and a long, long rabbit hole down which to fall. Goods can be commodities, livestock, acts of piety, and in our case, food.
- 07.068 Or were you carrying lots of goods?
- 09.018 and other goods,
- 09.019 and other goods came up the rivers,
- 10.009 and others they would fill with goods
- 14.025 and goods
- 14.042 but great store of goods he sent ahead by water.
- 15.050 The price of the goods
“good, adj., n., adv., and int.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2016. Web. 4 October 2016.