Учебное пособие: Консультации по английской грамматике В помощь учителю иностранного языка

genius — дух, гениальная личность

geniuses — гениальные личности

genii — гении, духи

penny — пенни

pennies — монеты

реnсе — сумма в несколько пенни

The irregularities of the formation of the plural number of English nouns are ridiculed in the following poem by an unknown author.

The English Language

We'll begin with box , and the plural is boxes.

But the plural of ox should be oxen , not oxes.

The one fool is a goose, but two are called geese ,

Yet the plural of mouse should never be meese.

You may find one mouse, or a whole nest 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 called pen?

The cow in the plural may be cows or kine ,

But bow, if repeated, is never called bine

And the plural of vow is vows , never vine.

If I speak of a foot , and you show me your 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?

If the singular is this and the plural is these ,

Should the plural of kiss ever be nicknamed keese?

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,