The Plural Poem
Having problems with plural nouns?Maybe this poem can help you out!
We’ll begin with box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
Then one fowl is goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a whole lot of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be pen?
The cow in the plural may be cows or kine,
But the plural of vow is vows, not vine.
And I speak of a foot, and you show me your feet,
But I give a boot… would a pair be beet?
If one is a tooth, and a whole set is teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth?
If the singular is this, and the plural is these,
Why shouldn’t the plural of kiss be kese?
Then one may be that, and three be those,
Yet the plural of hat would never be hose.
We speak of a brother, and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
The masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis, and shim.
So our English, I think you will agree,
Is the trickiest language you ever did see!
No wonder the English
language is so very difficult to learn. I sometimes wonder how we manage to
communicate at all!
See if you can do the exercise from memory!
We'll begin with a box and
the plural is 
.
But the plural of
should be oxen,
not oxes.
.But the plural of
should be oxen,
not oxes.
The one fowl is a 
but two are
called geese,
Yet the plural of
should never
be meese.
but two are
called geese,Yet the plural of
should never
be meese.
You may found a lone mouse or
a whole set of 
,
Yet the plural of
is houses not
hice.
,Yet the plural of
is houses not
hice.
If the plural of 
is always
called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of
be called pen?
is always
called men,Why shouldn't the plural of
be called pen?
If I speak of a 
and you show
me your feet,
And I give you a
, would a pair
be called beet?
and you show
me your feet,And I give you a
, would a pair
be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole
set are 
,
Why should not the plural of booth be called beeth?
,Why should not the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that and
three would be those,
Yet
in the plural
wouldn't be hose.
And the plural of
is cats and not
cose.
Yet
in the plural
wouldn't be hose.And the plural of
is cats and not
cose.
We speak of a 
and also of
brethren,
But though we say
, we
never say Methren,
and also of
brethren,But though we say
, we
never say Methren,
Then the masculine pronouns
are he, his and ,
But imagine the feminine
, shis and shim,
But imagine the feminine
, shis and shim,
So English, I fancy you will all agree,
Is the funniest language you ever did see.
Is the funniest language you ever did see.
