Graded Lessons in English Part 31

Write the plural of the following nouns.

Tree, bird, insect, cricket, gra.s.shopper, wing, stick, stone, flower, meadow, pasture, grove, worm, bug, cow, eagle, hawk, wren, plough, shovel.

When a singular noun ends in the sound of _s, x, z, sh_, or _ch_, it is not easy to add the sound of _s_, so _es_ is added to make another syllable.

Write the plural of the following nouns.

Guess, box, topaz, lash, birch, compa.s.s, fox, waltz, sash, bench, gas, tax, adz, brush, arch.

Many nouns ending in _o_ preceded by a consonant form the plural by adding _es_ without increasing the number of syllables.

Write the plural of the following nouns.

Hero, cargo, negro, potato, echo, volcano, mosquito, motto.

Common nouns ending in _y_ preceded by a consonant form the plural by changing _y_ into _i_ and adding _es_ without increasing the number of syllables.

Write the plural of the following nouns.

Lady, balcony, family, city, country, daisy, fairy, cherry, study, sky.

Some nouns ending in _f_ and _fe_ form the plural by changing _f_ or _fe_ into _ves_ without increasing the number of syllables.

Write the plural of the following nouns.

Sheaf, loaf, beef, thief, calf, half, elf, shelf, self, wolf, life, knife, wife.

LESSON 79.

NUMBER.

From the following list of nouns, select, and write in separate columns: 1st. Those that have no plural; 2d. Those that have no singular; 3d. Those that are alike in both numbers.

Pride, wages, trousers, cider, suds, victuals, milk, riches, flax, courage, sheep, deer, flour, idleness, tidings, thanks, ashes, scissors, swine, heathen.

The following nouns have very irregular plurals. Learn to spell the plurals.

_Singular. Plural. Singular. Plural_.

Man, men. Foot, feet.

Woman, women. Ox, oxen.

Child, children. Tooth, teeth.

Mouse, mice. Goose, geese.

Learn the following plurals and compare them with the groups in the preceding Lesson.

Moneys, flies, chimneys, valleys, stories, berries, lilies, turkeys, monkeys, cuckoos, pianos, vetoes, solos, folios, gulfs, chiefs, leaves, roofs, scarfs, inches.

LESSON 80.

NOUNS AND p.r.o.nOUNS.--GENDER.

+Hints for Oral Instruction+.--_The lion was caged. The lioness was caged_.

In the first sentence, something was said about a _male_ lion; and in the second, something was said about a _female_ lion. Modifications of the noun to denote the s.e.x of the object, we call +Gender+. Knowing the s.e.x of the object, you know the gender of its name. The word _lion_, denoting a male animal, is in the +Masculine Gender;+ and _lioness_, denoting a female lion, is in the +Feminine Gender+.

The names of things _without_ s.e.x are in the +Neuter Gender+.

Such words as _cousin, child, friend, neighbor_, may be _either masculine or feminine_.

+DEFINITIONS.

_Gender_ is that modification of a noun or p.r.o.noun which denotes s.e.x.

The _Masculine Gender_ denotes the male s.e.x.

The _Feminine Gender_ denotes the female s.e.x.

The _Neuter Gender_ denotes want of s.e.x+.

The masculine is distinguished from the feminine in three ways:--

1st. By a difference in the ending of the nouns.

2d. By different words in the compound names.

3d. By words wholly or radically different.

Arrange the following pairs in separate columns with reference to these ways.

Abbot, abbess; actor, actress; Francis, Frances; Jesse, Jessie; bachelor, maid; beau, belle; monk, nun; gander, goose; administrator, administratrix; baron, baroness; count, countess; czar, czarina; don, donna; boy, girl; drake, duck; lord, lady; nephew, niece; landlord, landlady; gentleman, gentlewoman; peac.o.c.k, peahen; duke, d.u.c.h.ess; hero, heroine; host, hostess; Jew, Jewess; man-servant, maid-servant; sir, madam; wizard, witch; marquis, marchioness; widow, widower; heir, heiress; Paul, Pauline; Augustus, Augusta.

REVIEW QUESTIONS.

What new way of varying the meaning of words is introduced in Lesson 78?

Ill.u.s.trate. What are modifications of the parts of speech? What is number?

How many numbers are there? Name and define each. Give the rule for forming the plural of nouns. Ill.u.s.trate the variations of this rule. What is gender? How many genders are there? Name and define each. In how many ways are the genders distinguished? Ill.u.s.trate.

LESSON 81.