uages usually form their plurals according
to the laws of those languages [phenomenon, phenomena].

7. A few nouns in our language do not change their form to denote number.
(_a_) Some nouns have the same form, for both the singular and the
plural [sheep, deer].
(_b_) Some nouns are used only in the plural [scissors, thanks].
(_c_) Some nouns have no plurals [pride, flesh].
(_d_) Some nouns, plural in form, have a singular meaning [measles,
news, politics].

8. Compound nouns usually form their plural by pluralizing the noun part
of the compound [sister-in-law, sisters-in-law]. If the words of the
compound are both nouns, and are of equal importance, both are given a
plural ending [manservant, menservants]. When the compound is thought of
as a whole, the last part only is made plural [spoonful, spoonfuls].

9. Proper names usually form their plurals regularly. If they are
preceded by titles, they form their plurals either by pluralizing the
title or by pluralizing the name [The Misses Hunter or the Miss Hunters.
The Messrs. Keene or the two Mr. Keenes. The Masters Burke. The Mrs.
Harrisons.]

10. A few nouns have two plurals differing in meaning or use [cloth,
cloths, clothes; penny, pennies, pence].

+24. Case.+--Case is the relation that a noun or pronoun
bears to some other word in the sentence.

Inflection of nouns or pronouns for the purpose of denoting
case is termed _declension_. There are three cases in the English
language: the _nominative_, the _possessive_, and the _objective_; but
nouns show only two forms for each number, as the nominative and
objective cases have the same form.

+25. Formation of the Possessive.+--Nouns in the singular, and those in
the plural not already ending in _s_, form the possessive regularly by
adding '_s_ to the nominative [finger, finger's; geese, geese's].

In case the plural already ends in _s_, the possessive case adds only the
apostrophe [girls'].

A few singular nouns add only the apostrophe, when the addition of the
'_s_ would make an unpleasant sound [Moses'].

Compound nouns form the possessive case by adding '_s_ to the last word.
This is also the rule when two names denoting joint ownership are used:
[Bradbury and Emery's Algebra].

Notice that in the following expression the '_s_ is affixed to the second
noun only: [My sister Martha's book].

Names of inanimate objects usually substitute prepositional phrases to
denote possession: [The hardn