English Grammar and Composition for Public Schools

by G. H. Armstrong

2. Some nouns form the plural by adding es to the singular form; as, match, matches; tax, taxes.

Note the following words:—fox, bush, glass, loss, hero, negro, cargo, echo, potato, tomato.

3. Nouns ending in y preceded by a vowel, form the plural by adding s to the singular form; as, day, days; valley, valleys.

Nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant, form the plural by changing the y into i and adding es; as, lily, lilies; copy, copies.

4. Some nouns ending in f or fe form the plural by changing f or fe to v and adding es; as, knife, knives.

Note the following:—wife, life, wolf, loaf, half, leaf, thief, shelf, calf, self.

5. A few nouns form the plural by adding en to the singular form; as, ox, oxen; child, children; brother, brethren.

6. Some nouns form the plural by changing the vowel of the singular; as, man, men; goose, geese.

7. Most nouns taken from foreign languages retain their foreign plurals:

	Singular.	Plural.
	radius,	radii.
	beau,	beaux.
	analysis,	analyses.
	index,	indices.
	axis,	axes.
	basis,	bases.
	seraph,	seraphim.
	memorandum,	memoranda.
	phenomenon,	phenomena.
	crisis,	crises.
	erratum,	errata.
	stratum,	strata.
	oasis,	oases.
	cherub,	cherubim.