Blair, or the Miss Blairs; the Messrs. Clark, or the Mr. Clarks; the Colonels Brown, or the Colonel Browns; the Drs. Hall, or the Dr. Halls. The latter of these forms is always used when the title is preceded by a numeral; as, the two Mr. Wellers; the three Miss Bartletts. When the title is Mrs., the proper sign of the plural is added to the last part only; as, the Mrs. Parkers. 6. LETTERS, FIGURES, and other symbolic characters are made plural by adding an apostrophe and s ('s); as: There are more e's than i's in this word. There are three 4's in this number. 7. NOUNS ALWAYS TREATED AS PLURALS.— The following nouns are used in the plural number only: aborigines alms amends annals antipodes archives credentials dregs eaves embers goods (mdse.) hose belles-lettres hysterics nuptials vespers oats victuals ashes assets billiards bitters breeches cattle pincers premises (property) riches scissors snuffers statistics thanks tidings tongs trousers NOTE. The singular wage is sometimes used in the literature of economics. News is always singular. 8. NAMES OF SCIENCES OR ARTS ENDING IN "IC" OR "ICS." All such nouns, except politics, are always singular. Among these are: arithmetic, mathematics, logic, ethics, æsthetics, optics, acoustics, etc. Politics was formerly treated as singular only, but writers of to-day, as a rule, treat it as plural. There is excellent authority for treating United States either as singular or as plural. The justices of the United States Supreme Court and those of other federal courts always treat United States as a plural; as, The United States were represented at The Hague Peace Congress. Singular bandit beau 9. AN ENGLISH AND A FOREIGN PLURAL.- Many nouns adopted from foreign languages have both an English and a foreign plural form. Those most frequently used are the following: cherub focus formula gymnasium memorandum nucleus radius seraph stamen 10. FOREIGN PLURALS ONLY.-Some nouns adopted from foreign languages retain their original plural forms. The more common of these are: Singular alumna (fem.) amanuensis analysis axis basis crisis datum diæresis ellipsis genus madame minutia monsieur nebula oasis parenthesis proboscis stratum synthesis terminus thesis vertebra EXERCISE IV Plural alumnæ alumni amanuenses analyses axes bases crises data desiderata diæreses ellipses errata genera minutiæ messieurs nebulæ oases parentheses proboscides strata syntheses termini theses vertebræ Write the plural of Buffalo, mystery, ally, German, duty, calf, bamboo, salmon, major general, princess, hoof, man-of war, talisman, x, cupful, looker-on, Frenchman, donkey, Miss Rogers, court-martial, journey, Brahman, forget-me-not, Dr. Hallam, minister plenipotentiary, mouthful, mosquito, ditch, tyro, ellipsis, genus, Dakota, Mrs. Wilson, vertebra, heathen, Mr. Stratton, Watts, snipe, Dutchman, baseball, stimulus, datum, Ottoman, poet laureate, commander in chief, alumna, postmaster general, ipse dixit, halo, Norman, teacup, son-in-law, alumnus. brother die fish EXERCISE V Each of the following nouns has two plurals, which are different in meaning. Use in sentences both plurals of each noun. ashes optics proceeds genius cherub shot assets data news -- penny foot EXERCISE VI Use each of the following nouns as the subject of a verb: index horse GENDER DEFINITION. Gender is a grammatical property of nouns and pronouns by which objects are distinguished in regard to sex. A noun or pronoun denoting a male object is in the masculine gender; a noun or pronoun denoting a female object is in the feminine gender; a noun or pronoun denoting an object or an idea that has no sex is in the neuter gender (neuter means neither). EXERCISE VII Write the corresponding masculine or feminine form of each of the following words, according as the word given is masculine or feminine. Consult, if necessary, any dictionary. duck lady hen sparrow Augustus Mrs. Brown negro maiden GENDER IN PERSONIFICATION.- When we speak of a plant or a lifeless object as if it were a person, we are said to personify it; that is, we speak or write about it as we should of a person. A word so used |
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