Practical Exercises in English Part 3

_Correct the following, giving the reason for each correction:--_ 1. A dog and a cat's head are differently shaped.

2. Whose Greek grammar do you prefer--Goodwin or Hadley?

3. It is neither the captain nor the manager's duty.

4. I consulted Webster, Stormonth, and Worcester's dictionary.

5. I like Hawthorne better than Irving's style.

6. John, Henry and William's nose resembled one another.

7. The novel is one of Scott.

8. I have no time to listen to either John or Joseph's talk.

SINGULAR and PLURAL.[15]--In modern English most nouns form the plural by adding "s" to the singular. The following variations from this rule are important:--

1. When the added sound of "s" makes an additional syllable, "es" is used: as, box, boxes; church, churches.

2. NOUNS ENDING IN "O." If the final "o" is preceded by a vowel, the plural is formed regularly, i.e., by adding "s": as, cameo, cameos. If the final "o" is preceded by a consonant, the tendency of modern usage is to form the plural by adding "es": as, hero, heroes; potato, potatoes. The following common words, however, seem still to form the plural by adding "s" alone:--

canto la.s.so proviso torso duodecimo memento quarto tyro halo octavo solo junto piano stiletto

3. NOUNS ENDING IN "Y." If the "y" is preceded by a vowel, the plural is regular: as, valley, valleys.

If the "y" is preceded by a consonant, "y" is changed to "i" and "es" is added to form the plural: as, lady, ladies; city, cities.

4. PROPER NOUNS are changed as little as possible: as, Henry, Henrys; Mary, Marys; Cicero, Ciceros; Nero, Neros.

5. Most COMPOUND NOUNS form the plural by adding the proper sign of the plural to the fundamental part of the word, i.e., to the part which is described by the rest of the phrase: as, ox-cart, ox-carts; court-martial, courts-martial; aide-de-camp, aides-de-camp.

Note the difference between the _plural_ and the _possessive_ of compound nouns,--forms which are often confounded. See page 16.

6. Letters, figures, and other symbols are made plural by adding an apostrophe and "s" ('s): as, "There are more _e's_ than _a's_ in this word"; "Dot your _i's_ and cross your _t's_."

7. Some nouns have two plurals, which differ in meaning:--

_Singular. Plural_.

brother brothers (by birth), brethren (of a society).

die dies (for coining or stamping), dice (for play).

fish fishes (separate fish), fish (collective).

index indexes (in books), indices (in algebra).

penny pennies (separate coins), pence (sum of money).

shot shots (discharges), shot (b.a.l.l.s).

staff staves (poles), staffs (bodies of a.s.sistants).

[15] "Foundations," pp. 45-47.

EXERCISE XI.[16]

_Write the plural of_: Lash, cage, race, buffalo, echo, canto, volcano, portfolio, ally, money, solo, memento, mosquito, bamboo, ditch, chimney, man, Norman,[17] Mussulman, city, negro, baby, calf, man-of-war, attorney, goose-quill, canon, quail, mystery, turkey, wife, body, snipe, knight-errant,[17] donkey, spoonful, aide-de-camp, Ottoman, commander-in-chief, major-general, pony, reply, talisman, court-martial, father-in-law, court-yard, man-trap, Brahman, journey, Henry, stepson, deer, mouthful, Miss Clark,[18] Mr. Jones, Dr. Brown, Dutchman, German, forget-me-not, poet-laureate, minister-plenipotentiary, hero, fish, trout, Mary, George, bill-of-fare.

[16] To THE TEACHER.--To have its full value this should be given as a dictation exercise.

[17] Consult a dictionary for this and similar nouns.

[18] Proper names preceded by a t.i.tle are made plural by changing either the name or the t.i.tle, and using "the" before the expression. We may say "the Miss Smiths" or "the Misses Smith," "the Doctors Young" or "the Doctor Youngs."

EXERCISE XII.

_Distinguish between_:--

1. Two dice (dies) were found in the prisoner's pockets.

2. He was always kind to his brothers (brethren).

3. How many shot (shots) did you count?

4. He carried two pailfuls (pails full) of water up the hill.

5. I have two handfuls (hands full) of gold-dust.

6. He gave the beggar six pennies (pence).

7. There are serious errors in the indexes (indices) in this new Algebra.

8. Ten shot (shots) were fired from the gun in fifteen minutes.

EXERCISE XIII.

_Which of the following forms should be used? Consult Hill's "Foundations," pp. 45-47:_--

1. The members of the committee were greatly alarmed at this (these) news.

2. Tidings was (were) brought to them of the ma.s.sacre on Snake River.

3. The endowment of the college was greatly increased by this (these) means.

4. The widow's means was (were) at first large, but it was (they were) soon exhausted by the prodigality of her son.

5. The a.s.sets of the company are (is) $167,000.

6. The dregs in the cup was (were) found to be very bitter.

7. The eaves of the new house are (is) thirty-two feet above the ground.

8. Athletics are (is) run into the ground in many schools.

9. Politics is (are) like a stone tied around the neck of literature.

10. The nuptials of Gratiano and Nerissa were (was) celebrated at the same time as those (that) of Ba.s.sanio and Portia.

11. Ethics are (is) becoming more and more prominent in the discussions of political economists.

12. Have you seen my pincers? I have mislaid it (them).

13. The proceeds was (were) given to the hospital.

14. His riches took to themselves (itself) wings.

15. This (these) scissors is (are) not sharp.

16. Please pour this (these) suds on the rose plants in the oval flowerbed.

17. His tactics was (were) much criticised by old generals.

18. The United States has (have) informed Spain that it (they) will not permit Spanish interference in the affairs of Central America.

NOUNS of FOREIGN ORIGIN.[19]--The following is a list of nouns of foreign origin in common use which have peculiar number forms:--

_Singular. Plural_.

alumnus (masculine) alumni alumna (feminine) alumnae a.n.a.lysis a.n.a.lyses bacterium bacteria beau beaux cherub cherubim (or cherubs) crisis crises curriculum curricula datum data genus (meaning "cla.s.s") genera genius {geniuses (persons or great ability) {genii (spirits) hypothesis hypotheses oasis oases parenthesis parentheses phenomenon phenomena seraph seraphim (or seraphs) stratum strata tableau tableaux thesis theses

[19] "Foundations," pp. 47-48.

EXERCISE XIV.[20]