LESSON XV.

NUMBER.

Which form of the following words denotes one thing, and which more than one thing?—

pen,slate,church,city,tooth,

pens,slates,churches,cities,teeth.

The form of a word which names one thing is called singular, and the noun is said to be in the singular number. The form of a word which names more than one thing is called plural, and the noun is said to be in the plural number.

1. The plural is generally formed by adding s to the singular form; as pin, pins; book, books.

2. Some nouns form the plural by adding es to the singular form; as, match, matches; tax, taxes.

Note the following words:—fox, bush, glass, loss, hero, negro, cargo, echo, potato, tomato.

3. Nouns ending in y preceded by a vowel, form the plural by adding s to the singular form; as, day, days; valley, valleys.

Nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant, form the plural by changing the y into i and adding es; as, lily, lilies; copy, copies.

4. Some nouns ending in f or fe form the plural by changing f or fe to v and adding es; as, knife, knives.

Note the following:—wife, life, wolf, loaf, half, leaf, thief, shelf, calf, self.

5. A few nouns form the plural by adding en to the singular form; as, ox, oxen; child, children; brother, brethren.

6. Some nouns form the plural by changing the vowel of the singular; as, man, men; goose, geese.

7. Most nouns taken from foreign languages retain their foreign plurals:

Singular.Plural.

radius,radii.

beau,beaux.

analysis,analyses.

index,indices.

axis,axes.

basis,bases.

seraph,seraphim.

memorandum,memoranda.

phenomenon,phenomena.

crisis,crises.

erratum,errata.

stratum,strata.

oasis,oases.

cherub,cherubim.

8. Some compound nouns make the principal word plural, and some make both words plural; as, son-in-law, sons-in-law; man-servant, men-servants.

EXERCISE.

Write the plural of the following nouns:—

1.desk, woman, calf, foot, mouse, class.

2.cargo, piano, sky, toy, crisis, potato.

3.story, church, enemy, spoonful, chimney.

4.lily, valley, mother-in-law, wolf, pencil.

5.memorandum, sheaf, child, man-of-war.