Which form of the following words denotes one thing, and which more than
one thing?—
pen, slate, church, city, tooth,
pens, slates, churches, cities, teeth.
The form of a word which names one thing is called =singular=, and the
noun is said to be in the _singular number_. The form of a word which
names more than one thing is called =plural=, and the noun is said to be
in the _plural number_.
1. The plural is generally formed by adding _s_ to the singular form; as
_pin_, _pins_; _book_, _books_.
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_.