Business English Part 5

=Exercise 35--Foreign Plurals=

Some nouns derived from foreign languages retain their original plural.

The following are in common use.

Consult a dictionary for their p.r.o.nunciation and definition.

_Singular_ _Plural_ _Singular_ _Plural_

crisis crises stratum strata thesis theses radius radii hypothesis hypotheses parenthesis parentheses focus foci synopsis synopses datum data basis bases alumnus alumni automaton automata alumna alumnae a.n.a.lysis a.n.a.lyses oasis oases nucleus nuclei axis axes phenomenon phenomena genus genera

Some words admit of two plurals, one the foreign plural, and one the regular English plural; as,

_Singular_ _Plural_

beau beaux beaus formula formulae formulas vertex vertices vertexes index indices indexes cherub cherubim cherubs seraph seraphim seraphs bandit banditti bandits

Consult a dictionary to see whether there is any difference of meaning between the two plurals of these words.

=Exercise 36--The Formation of Participles=

_Rap_, _rapping_, _rapped_ _Reap_, _reaping_, _reaped_

_Rap_ is a monosyllable ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel. The final consonant in such words is doubled before a suffix beginning with a vowel is added.

In _reap_ the final consonant is not doubled because it is preceded by two vowels.

Make the participles of the following verbs:

chat lap suit step cheat leap sit steep rot train sop trot root trim soap treat

_Trap_, _trapping_, _trapped_ _Track_, _tracking_, _tracked_

Why is the final consonant in _trap_ doubled before _ing_ or _ed_ is added?

The final consonant in _track_ is not doubled because _track_ ends with two consonants.

_Pin_, _pinning_ _Pine_, _pining_

_Pine_ drops the silent _e_ because the tendency in English is to drop endings that are not needed for p.r.o.nunciation before adding a suffix beginning with a vowel.

Form the participles of the following verbs:

knot rob flop note robe elope deal swim quit (_u_ is not here a vowel) clap strike crawl (_w_ is here a vowel) stop oil wax (_x_ equals _cks_) peal rush bow (_w_ is here a vowel)

=Exercise 37=

Exercise 36 applies also to words of more than one syllable accented on the last syllable, if they retain the accent on the same syllable after the suffix is added. Thus we have

=Rule 5.--Monosyllables or words accented on the last syllable, ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant before adding a suffix beginning with a vowel.=

Form participles from the following words that are accented on the last syllable:

prefer intervene escape expel refer reveal acquire contain occur repeal secure forbid permit pursue conceal incur interfere erase arrange forget retain control acquit repel

Form participles from the following words not accented on the last syllable:

benefit travel marvel shelter revel answer exhibit render quarrel profit shovel limit

Words in which the accent changes do not double the final consonant before adding a suffix beginning with a vowel; as,

confer conference infer inference refer reference prefer preferable

Explain why the final consonant is _not_ doubled in each of the following words:

neglect neglecting lean leaning prefer preference select selecting creep creeping receipt receipting wonder wondering answer answering

=Exercise 38=

=Rule 6.--In forming the present participle of verbs ending in _y_, retain the _y_ before adding _ing_; as,=

study studying obey obeying carry carrying convey conveying pity pitying

In forming the perfect participle, if in the present tense the _y_ is preceded by a consonant, the _y_ is changed to _i_ and _ed_ added; if the _y_ is preceded by a vowel, the _y_ is retained; as,

study studied carry carried pity pitied

but

obey obeyed convey conveyed

Compare with Rule 2.

=Exercise 39=

=Rule 7.--In words containing a long _e_ sound spelled either _ie_ or _ei_, _ei_ follows _c_; _ie_ follows one of the other consonants; as,=

_ei_ _ie_ deceive relieve siege perceive believe yield receive belief grief conceive chief field conceit priest piece receipt niece wield reprieve lien

_Exceptions._--Either, neither, weird, seize, leisure.

The following couplet may help in remembering when to write _ie_ and when to write _ei_:

When the letter _c_ you spy, Put the _e_ before the _i_.