Slips Of Speech - Slips of Speech Part 30
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Slips of Speech Part 30

Both words are made plural, Knights Templars, a very unusual way of forming the plural.

Plural Compounds

The plural sign of a compound word is affixed to the principal part of the word, to the part that conveys the predominant idea; as, fathers-in-law, man-servants, outpourings, ingatherings. In such words as handfuls, cupfuls, mouthfuls, the plural ending is added to the subordinate part because the ideas are so closely associated as to blend into one.

Beaus, Beaux

Some words ending in eau have only the English plurals, as bureaus, portmanteaus; others take both the English and the French plurals, as beaus, beaux; flambeaus, flambeaux; plateaus, plateaux; and still others take only the foreign plural; as, bateaux, chateaux, tableaux.

Pair, Couple, Brace

After numerals, the singular form of such words as these is generally employed; as, five pair of gloves, eight couple of dancers, three brace of pigeons, five

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dozen of eggs, four score years, twenty sail of ships, fifty head of cattle, six hundred of these men, two thousand of these cattle, etc.

After such indefinite adjectives as few, many, several, some of the above words take the plural form; as, several hundreds, many thousands.

Index, Appendix

Indexes of books; indices, if applied to mathematical signs in algebra. Appendixes or appendices.

Fish, Fly

The plural of fish is fishes when considered individually, and fish when considered collectively. "My three pet fishes feed out of my hand." "Six barrels of fish were landed from the schooner."

Most words ending in y change this termination into ies, as duties, cities, etc. The plural of fly, the insect, is formed in the usual manner, but fly, a light carriage, adds s; as, "Six flys carried the guests to their homes."

Animalcule

The plural of this word is animalcules. There is no plural animalculae. The plural of the Latin animalculum is animalcula.

Bandit

This word has two plural forms, bandits and banditti.

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Brother

Plural brothers, when referring to members of the same family; brethren, when applied to members of the same church or society.

Die

Plural dies, when the stamp with which seals are impressed is meant; dice, the cubes used in playing backgammon.

Herring

The plural is herrings, but shad, trout, bass, pike, pickerel, grayling, have no plural form. "I caught three bass and seven fine pickerel this morning."

Grouse

The names of game birds, as grouse, quail, snipe, woodcock, usually take no plural form.

Pea

Considered individually the plural is peas; when referring to the crop the proper form is pease.

Penny

"He gave me twelve bright new pennies," referring to the individual coins. "I paid him twelve pence," meaning a shilling.

Wharf

Plural, generally wharves in America; wharfs in England.

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CHAPTER VII

Adverbs

The clearness of the sentence is often dependent upon the proper placing of the adverb. No absolute rule can be laid down, but it should generally be placed before the word it qualifies. It is sometimes necessary to place it after the verb, and occasionally between the auxiliary and the verb, but it should never come between to and the infinitive.

"I have thought of marrying often." As the adverb relates to the thinking, and not to the marrying, the sentence should read, "I have often thought of marrying."

"We have often occasion to speak of health." This should be, "We often have occasion," etc,

"It remains then undecided whether we shall go to Newport or Saratoga." Place undecided before then.

Adjective or Adverb?

There is often a doubt in the mind of the speaker whether to use the adjective or the adverb, and too frequently he reaches a wrong decision. When the limiting word expresses a quality or state of the subject

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or of the object of a verb, the adjective must be employed; but if the manner of the action is to be expressed, the adverb must be used. The verbs be, seem, look, taste, smell, and feel furnish many stumbling-blocks.

"This rose smells sweetly." As the property or quality of the rose is here referred to, and not the manner of smelling, the adjective sweet should be employed, and not the adverb sweetly.

"Thomas feels quite badly about it." Here, again, it is the condition of Thomas's mind, and not the manner of feeling, that is to be expressed; hence, badly should be bad or uncomfortable.

"Didn't she look beautifully upon the occasion of her wedding?" No; she looked beautiful.