Extra Credit Opportunities
Our Crazy Language
We'll begin with a
box, and the plural is
boxes;
But the plural of
ox became
oxen not
oxes.
One fowl is a
goose, but two are called
geese,
Yet the plural of
moose should never be
meese.
You may find a lone
mouse or a nest full of
mice;
Yet 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 called
pen?
If I spoke of my
foot and show you my
feet,
And I give you a
boot, would a pair be called
beet?
If one is a tooth
and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of
booth be called
beeth?
Then one may be
that, and three would be
those,
Yet hat
in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of
cat is cats,
not cose.
We speak of a
brother and also of
brethren,
But though we say
mother, we never say
methren.
Then 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.
