Plain English. Marian Wharton
abstract nouns from the following adjectives, verbs and nouns.
long
simple
rapid
lovely
loyal
fresh
prove
sing
run
behave
believe
reflect
write
child
agent
infant
rascal
clerk
president
coward
NUMBER FORM
67. So we find that we classify our nouns according to the special work which they do. Now sometimes we find it necessary to change the form of the noun to make it express our thought. Thus we say, book, man, boy, knife, when we wish to express the idea of only one of each object mentioned. But when we wish to express the idea of more than one of them, we say, books, men, boys, knives.
We say, The boy calls; the boys call. The form of the noun boy is changed by adding an s to it. The meaning has also changed. Boy denotes one lad; boys denotes two or more lads. Any change in form and meaning of words is called inflection. The change to denote more than one object is called number. The word boy, denoting one is in the singular number; the word boys, denoting more than one is in the plural number.
68. Inflection is a change in the form of a word to denote a different application or use.
Number is the form of a noun which shows whether it denotes one or more than one.
The singular number denotes one thing.
The plural number denotes more than one thing.
There are a few rules governing the formation of plurals which we must know, and these rules are of great assistance in correct spelling.
69. Most nouns form their plural by adding s—thus:
| boat | day | book | boy |
| boats | days | books | boys |
Long ago in early English all plurals were formed by adding es, and you will read in the first translation of the Bible, for instance, such words as bird-es, cloud-es. Later the e was dropped and s added to the singular without an increase of syllables. But when the singular ends in an s sound, the original syllable es is retained, for two hissing sounds will not unite.
70. So nouns ending in s, x, z, sh or soft ch, form the plural by adding es to the singular. These words end with a sound so much like that of s that we cannot pronounce the plural easily without making another syllable. Thus:
| class | tax | topaz | wish | ditch |
| classes | taxes | topazes | wishes | ditches |
71. In words ending with the s sound but with a final e, only s is added to form the plural, but in pronouncing the word we then have two syllables, thus:
| house | place | size | cage | niche |
| houses | places | sizes | cages | niches |
72. Letters, figures, signs, etc., are made plural by adding an apostrophe and the letter s ('s), thus:
Cross your t's and dot your i's.
Do you know the table of 4's?
While most of our nouns form their plural in this regular way by adding s or es, there are some nouns that form their plural by some other change in the form of the word.
73. Notice the following list of words and their plurals:
fly
flies
city
cities
key
keys
day
days
story
stories
enemy
enemies
tray
trays
boy
boys
These nouns all end in y, yet they form the plural differently. Some simply add s and the rest change the y to i and add es. Can you discover the reason?
Wherever the y is preceded by a vowel, as e in key, a in tray, o in boy, the plural is formed by adding s. But when the y is preceded by a consonant, as l in fly, r in story, t in city, and m in enemy, the y is changed to i and es added in forming the plural.
If the singular ends in y after a consonant, change y to i and add es in the plural.
74. There are thirteen nouns ending in f and three in fe which form the plural in ves. They are:
| beef | beeves |
| calf | calves |
| elf | elves |
| half | halves |
| leaf | leaves |
| loaf | loaves |
| self | selves |
| sheaf |
sheaves
|