Nouns ending in y preceded by a vowel, add s to the singular, to form the plural; as, boy, boys; chimney, chimneys. Nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant, change y to ies, to form the plural; as, city, cities; lily, lilies.

3. How are the singular nouns in the following examples changed to make each mean more than one?

Most nouns ending in ƒ or fe form the plural by adding

s to the singular; as, roof, roofs; safe, safes.

The following nouns change ƒ or fe to ves, to form the

Write the following words in columns, and opposite each

word write its plural form:

Make a list of ten nouns, ending in f or fe, that form their plurals by the addition of s, and a list of ten other nouns that form their plurals in ves.

1. Mention the plurals below, and tell how they are formed:

Some nouns form the plural by changing the vowel of the singular; as, man, men; goose, geese; tooth, teeth; foot, feet; mouse, mice (also changes s to c).

In a few nouns the plural ends in en; as, ox, oxen; child, children; brother, brethren.

2. Give the number of each italicized noun in the following examples, and note its form :

1. A deer came to the shore of the lake.

2. Deer have their established runways.

2. A sheep before her shearers is dumb.

4. All we like sheep have gone astray.

Some nouns have the same form in both numbers; as, sheep, deer, trout, cannon.

Some nouns have no singular; as, ashes, scissors, tongs,

trousers.

Some nouns have two plural forms differing in meaning; as,

-

brother, brothers (by blood), brethren (by association).

fish, fishes (taken separately), fish (taken collectively). genius, geniuses (men of genius), genii (spirits). index, indexes (of books), indices (signs in algebra). pea, peas (taken separately), pease (taken collectively). penny, pennies (taken separately), pence (taken collectively).

EXERCISE I.

Write sentences containing the plurals of the following nouns, and tell how each plural is formed:

Make a list of the following nouns, and opposite each write

1. Tell how each plural form below is made from the singular:

:

Some compound nouns form the plural like single words, others make the principal word plural, and a few change both words; as, cupful, cupfuls; mother-in-law, mothers-in-law; woman-servant, women-servants.

EXERCISE I.

Write the singulars of the following nouns, and tell how the plurals are formed:

2. When a title is prefixed to a proper name, the compound may be made plural by changing either the title or the name; as, the Misses Brown or the Miss Browns.

The title is made plural when it is used with two or more names; as, Messrs. Stone and Wood.

Letters, figures, and signs add the apostrophe (') and s, to form the plural; as, Dot the i's; Cancel the 5's; Write the's on a straight line.

Many nouns taken from foreign languages retain their original plurals. The following are a few of the most common :

Some foreign words which are in common use form the plural in the usual way, often with a difference of meaning; as, formulas, indexes, geniuses.

EXERCISE II.

Make a list of the foregoing singular nouns from foreign languages, and opposite each write from memory its plural.

LESSON XVI.

GENDER.

Which words in the following list denote males? Which denote