An Advanced English Grammar with Exercises. George Lyman Kittredge
The two plurals sometimes differ in meaning: as—
Michael Angelo and Raphael were geniuses.
Spirits are sometimes called genii.
This book has two indices.
The printer uses signs called indexes.
81. When a proper name with the title Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Master, is put into the plural, the rules are as follows:—
1. The plural of Mr. is Messrs. (pronounced Messers14). The name remains in the singular. Thus—
Mr. Jackson, plural Messrs. (or the Messrs.) Jackson.
2. Mrs. has no plural. The name itself takes the plural form. Thus—
Mrs. Jackson, plural the Mrs. Jacksons.
3. In the case of Miss, sometimes the title is put into the plural, sometimes the name. Thus—
Miss Jackson, plural the Misses Jackson or the Miss Jacksons.
The latter expression is somewhat informal. Accordingly, it would not be used in a formal invitation or reply, or in addressing a letter.
4. The plural of Master is Masters. The name remains in the singular. Thus—
Master Jackson, plural the Masters Jackson.
Other titles usually remain in the singular, the name taking the plural form: as—the two General Follansbys. But when two or more names follow, the title becomes plural: as—Generals Rolfe and Johnson.
82. Some nouns, on account of their meaning, are seldom or never used in the plural.
Such are many names of qualities (as cheerfulness, mirth), of sciences (as chemistry15), of forces (as gravitation).
Many nouns, commonly used in the singular only, may take a plural in some special sense. Thus—
| earth (the globe) | earths (kinds of soil) |
| ice (frozen water) | ices (food) |
| tin (a metal) | tins (tin dishes or cans) |
| nickel (a metal) | nickels (coins) |
83. Some nouns are used in the plural only.
Such are:
annals,
athletics,
billiards,
dregs,
eaves,
entrails,
lees,
nuptials,
oats,
obsequies,
pincers,
proceeds,
riches,
scissors,
shears,
suds,
tweezers,
tongs,
trousers,
victuals,
vitals;
and (in certain special senses)
ashes,
goods,
links,
scales,
spectacles,
stocks.
84. A few nouns are plural in form, but singular in meaning.
Such are:
gallows,
news,
measles,
mumps,
small pox (for small pocks),
politics,
and some names of sciences
(as, civics,
economics,
ethics,
mathematics,
physics,
optics).
Note. These nouns were formerly plural in sense as well as in form. News, for example, originally meant “new things.” Shakspere uses it both as a singular and as a plural. Thus—“This news was brought to Richard” (King John, v. 3. 12); “But wherefore do I tell these news to thee?” (1 Henry IV, iii. 2. 121). In a few words modern usage varies. The following nouns are sometimes singular, sometimes plural: alms, amends, bellows, means, pains (in the sense of “effort”), tidings.
III. PERSON
85. Person is that property of substantives which shows whether they denote (1) the speaker, (2) the person spoken to, or (3) the person spoken of.
A substantive is in the first person when it denotes the speaker, in the second person when it denotes the person spoken to, in the third person when it denotes the person or thing spoken of.
I, the king, command his presence. [First person.]
You, Thomas, broke the window. [Second person.]
Charles, come here. [Second person.]
He, the fireman, saved the train. [Third person.]
The diver sinks slowly from our view. [Third person.]
The tower suddenly collapsed. [Third person.]
The examples show (1) that the person of a noun has nothing to do with its form, but is indicated by the sense or connection; (2) that certain pronouns denote person with precision. Thus, I is always of the first person; you of the second; and he of the third. These personal pronouns will be treated in Chapter III.
IV. CASE
86. Substantives have inflections of case to indicate their grammatical relations to verbs, to prepositions, or to other substantives.
There are three cases—the nominative, the possessive, and the objective.
The possessive case is often called the genitive.
The nominative and the objective case of a noun are always alike in form. In some pronouns, however, there is a